I have many thoughts yet no easy way to review ‘Moonlight’. It is a small underdog of a film that has been getting over the top reviews and a lot of Oscar buzz, which sometimes sets off red flags with me. While I think that many of my fears were well founded in that this film, due to its’ story line, was being pushed and heralded too much to be great, I will say that it has stuck with me for days and I find myself examining it more and more.
The film is divided into three parts in profiling the life of a young African American child named Chiron living in the Miami projects. Pre-adolescence, mid-teen, and young adult periods are the time periods chosen as we follow this small, shy child struggling to make it in the world. He lives with his single crack addicted mother in slum housing. She loves him, but cannot get past her personal demons to be the parent he needs. His only partial parental-like guidance is from the local drug dealer Juan (played by my rapidly-becoming-favorite Mahershala Ali). Juan senses Chiron’s neglect and vulnerability and seeks to take him under his wing with the help of his girlfriend Teresa (played by a surprisingly low key, yet still beautiful Janelle Monáe). Rarely being able to spend nights at home, given his mother’s promiscuity and addictions, Chiron finds sanctuary and guidance in Teresa’s home from the bullies who sense that he is ‘different’. Juan is anything but an angel, but Chiron’s innocence sparks his paternal instinct and Juan does the best he can in providing guidance given the circumstances. Chiron’s sole friend is his Cuban American classmate Kevin (Shariff Earp). Chiron struggles to fit in and is grateful for Kevin’s friendship and sometimes protection. He struggles equally with trying to understand their closeness and his constant desire to be a part of his life.
With this backdrop, it seems that Chiron’s life is predetermined for failure. He has no real guidance or role models as he begins to slowly understand his feelings of homosexuality. In fact, he withdraws even more into himself as who he is would never be accepted in the world he lives in. Writer/Director Barry Jenkins uses a minimalist approach with the story and dialogue and the three actors who play Chiron throughout his development hardly speak. Jenkins uses lingering camera shots on Chiron’s face as he encounters his challenges in life. While the actors are wonderfully expressive, Jenkins leaves it up to us to draw out whatever empathy or meaning we can. There is little judgement or blatant advocacy, rather merely a portrait of personal awaking in an environment that does not welcome it.
I can’t recommend this film to everyone. I especially don’t recommend it to people planning on waiting for it to come to video as the slow and deliberate pace does not lend itself to home viewing. If you enjoy independent film making from promising young Writer/Directors, then this is your type of film. Don’t expect to leave with an earth shattering message or anything other than an appreciation of the effort it took to put this story on film. I’m grateful to Barry Jenkins for giving us this portrait of a person’s life because, as I said, I can’t say I loved the film, but it has lingered with me for days afterwards and, to me, that is a sign of successful art.
I give this film ** 1/2 stars
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