Review of Moonlight (2016) by Dana F — 10 Jul 2017

This movie is clearly the lowest budget of all the Best Picture nominees, and has the least narrative structure as well. Not that that's a bad thing, it's just different. Rather than tell a defined story, the film is broken up into three segments, each one a snapshot of different points of a single character's life.

The first two are fantastic, the third... well, not so much. That third act was SOOO SLOOOOW, it detracted from my overall enjoyment of the film. The movie still packs a solid emotional punch, thanks to the first two acts.

This is an important movie, if nothing other than the fact that I think this is the only movie I have ever seen where the main character is a black gay guy. Even so, the themes are universal that anyone can relate to.

This is a poignant film with a lot to say, even though it doesn't come right out and tell you. You feel it rather than hear it.