Review of Moonlight (2016) by Rebecca31 — 24 Jan 2017

Moonlight depicts the story of a young man growing up in a rough neighbourhood in Miami. Spanning from childhood to adulthood he embarks on the difficult journey of self-discovery and all the struggles that come with that. In many ways this movie is exceptional, the first two acts that deal with childhood and the teenage years of Chiron are perfectly told. Scenes so emotional and distressing with brilliant acting from the entire cast, particularly Mahershala Ali. Although a little underused he certainly gives an Oscar worthy performance. The dialogue between the actors feels so natural you really start to believe what you’re watching is real. The soundtrack is as unique and original as the movie, suiting it perfectly.

This film has tackled an issue that no other film has really dealt with and for that it deserves your attention. Now if you’re sensing a big negative coming then you’d be right. Unfortunately for me the third act of this movie really let it down, the high standard set in the first two acts dropped significantly and I found my mind wandering on too many occasions. For a film to hold my attention effortlessly and then to have the story and the pace drop was hugely disappointing. A regretfully unsatisfying conclusion to an otherwise terrific movie. I’m still recommending Moonlight but the third act turned a five star movie into a four star movie.