Review of Moonlight (2016) by Daniel C — 06 May 2018

When you go to the cinema today, you will see a trove of blockbusters, full of action and CGI. The films we consider the best of our time almost always have something to do with the level of CGI and fanciness put in through the post-production process.

These movies are nearly always given either a standing ovation for the extremeness of it all or a dismissal due to over-the-top CGI. Barry Jenkins' one-of-a-kind beauty Moonlight has little to no CGI and tells a human story, rather than a superhuman story.

The characters are not two-dimensional, quite the opposite. The main character's mother, Paula (played by the brilliant Naomie Harris) is an excellent example. Paula is negligent (and in some parts of the film, truly hostile) to her son, as well as being a Crack addict.

But she still loves her son. The level of detail and raw emotion of the characters are the driving force of this film. The cinematography is excellent without becoming a distraction and helps enforce the story's power.

Nicholas Britell's soundtrack for the film is amazing and only adds to the film. This film was truly amazing, and it deserves every award it received. A wonder like this only comes around once in a while.