Moonlight
Moonlight is the much talked about 2016 film, by now Oscar winning filmmaker, Barry Jenkins. The film stars Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Janelle Monae, Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, & Trevante Rhodes. Finally rented this after all the hype, and awards it won. Man, I wish I could have seen this sooner, and not have slept on it. It's a remarkable film, that gives an emotional experience. Here's my in depth, and as always spoiler free review, of Barry Jenkins' Moonlight.
The Direction: Magnificent direction from Jenkins. He makes some of the smartest directorial decisions of 2016. He does it in the way he chooses to films scenes, edit them, and drive the actors fantastic performances. I can tell that the films of Kar-Wai Wong were a major influence in style. Jenkins himself has said, that Wong's "Chungking Express" (1994), is an influential film. This doesn't mean that Jenkins is purely ripping Wong off, the exact opposite. He creates his own style, using elements from his film, and creates something truly original. Jenkins has also gone on record, saying that he experienced a lot of the same experiences, while growing up in the same Miami neighborhood, even though he isn't gay like the main character. He shows this, by visually making us understand the emotions, and the complexity of Chiron. One artistic point I'd like to point out, is how Jenkins decides to have mainly classical music for it's soundtrack. He doesn't use plain rap music, or some other cliche kind of music for this environment. The classical music also sets the perfect atmosphere for the scenes, especially in the famous "middle of the world" scene. A+ for direction
The Writing: We see our main character Chiron go through the three stages of growing up. Childhood, teenhood, and adulthood. We see him go through the struggles of being a homosexual, having a drug addicted mother, and being a social outsider. Jenkins script bears no cliches. He makes it original, and human. He makes us understand, and feel the struggles with Chiron as he grows older. Jenkins creates a realistic version of Miami, that sets the perfect atmosphere for Chiron's world. The films shows a lot, without having to show many things. We still see heavy things, and moments are emotionally hard to watch. The film and it's story are not over the top, and as I've heard it described "quietly brilliant". He makes all of his characters complex, and flawed. Something I truly enjoy to see, because it makes it more realistic, and human. A+ for the writing.
The Performances: Like I said earlier, fantastic performances all around the cast. I was impressed by all three of the actors that play Chiron. Some of the best child acting I've seen from the two younger actors. Adult Chiron also gives a great performance. Each actor played Chiron differently, showing the changes a human goes through as they get older. Mahershala Ali gives a fantastic performance, although I wish I could have seen a lot more of his character. Naomie Harris is perfect as Chiron;s mom, a drug addicted woman. I homestly couldn't see any other actress play her part. Solid A for acting.
Other Tech Aspects: I already mentioned the use of classical music, which was greatly composed. The cinematography is a sight to see! I love some of the hand held nature, and camera tricks. I specifically love how "the middle of the world" scene was shot. The editing was also nice. Solid A for tech.
Final Thoughts: "Moonlight" is a magnificent film, and a powerful experience. This film makes me excited to check out Jenkins first film, and his films to come. my final grade would have to be a 98/100. This film is up there with "Manchester By The Sea" & "Silence" as my top three favorite films of 2016. What are your thoughts on "Moonlight"? Please leave them in the comment section below. Also expect a review of Jim Jarmusch's "Paterson" to pop up very soon!