Review of The Florida Project (2017) by Lewis C — 10 Feb 2018

The Florida Project is arguably the greatest hidden gem of 2017. Despite the relatively low budget, the film manages to tell a riveting story about childhood innocence. Set in a motel on the fringes of Walt Disney World during two weeks in the summer, The Florida Project explores the life of a low-beat mother and her attempts at raising her daughter.

The film does a masterful job of showing the difficult upbringings some children have and the struggles her family has in getting by. The mother lives day to day and reverts to income such as prostitution and soliciting to get by in life.

The standout moments are the scenes with the main protagonist Moonee and her friends. They wander out alone and get into all kinds of trouble. However, this highlights the innocence of childhood, especially living in such awful conditions.

The acting is also top notch, with Willem Dafoe putting in a strong performance as the hotel manager. There are many eye-opening and shocking moments, but this is what the film attempts to capture. It is extremely shocking that life like this can be lived only a short distance away from the proposed magical world of Walt Disney.

Overall, The Florida Project is an amazing movie, highlighting the innocence of childhood and a glimpse into the hard lives many American children face.