Review of The Florida Project (2017) by Markopolous — 21 Dec 2017

A little disappointing considering the innovation that was Tangerine. Someone told me he thought this would have been a really, really good short film and I think that hits the nail on the head. Sean Baker is clearly a talented director, getting terrific performances out of non-actors and planting seeds along the way that flower nicely later on in the script, but the story lacks.

There’s no real arch, it kind of feels like it arrived at the wrong time after the release of recent films like American Honey, Moonlight, Room, and others that have covered similar territory better.

The ending also feels tacked on. Willem Dafoe’s character doesn’t really go anywhere either, he seems like an unnecessary addition. Still, there are some wonderful moments in the film that capture childhood very well and the setting is unique but I can’t say I strongly recommend it.