Review of Moonlight (2016) by Cameron H — 12 Jul 2017

If there is any feeling that director-screenwriter Barry Jenkins captures masterfully -- I'm speaking mostly from an outsider perspective -- it's the feeling of your whole life moving far too quickly to recall anything other than the few moments when it all seemed to slow down.

For better or worse. The characters under scrutiny are also a welcome change to the near-homogeneity of most contemporary films, not just with respect to white upper-middle class but also the tough/macho-by-social-law culture of black below-poverty-line class.

Moonlight certainly has its important place in today's time. We'll see where Hollywood goes (or Barry Jenkins, for that matter), in ten years' time. As for the story itself, well, it's another coming-of-age, finding-yourself tale.

The simple change in who is of focus makes this an especially durable piece of storytelling, not to mention remarkable pacing and structure. "Little" / Chiron / "Black" (the same person played by three different actors, all of whom deserve praise for their breakthrough performances) is soft at the core, and as he ages, we see how his environment forces him to build a cold, rough exterior when all he wants is to feel soft again with someone he loves.

I would argue that Moonlight is undeniably beautiful, but then again, see the ~18% gap between critical favourability and audience favourability? The 18% will explain to you how the fact that Chiron is "too much of everything": black, poor, homosexual.

And in come the accusations that Jenkins is trying too hard. To which I say, fuck you.