Review of The Florida Project (2017) by Devaughn B — 13 May 2018

Another perfect film from A24 and Sean Baker. I never got the chance to check this one out during awards season, so I'm extremely glad it's available on Amazon Prime Video now. This is such a real, explosive film that focuses on a six-year-old girl and her young mother in Orlando. They live in poverty, struggling to survive week by week in motels, always unsure if they will be able to make the rent payments. This is the type of story we really don't see captured much in film. Powerful, heartbreaking stories and absolutely stellar performances from Brooklynn Kimberly Prince who portrays Moonee, the six-year-old girl, Bria Vinaite as Halley, Moonee's outrageous mother, and Willem Dafoe as Bobby, the manager of motel.

Brooklynn Kimberly Prince is a name to be on the lookout for. This young actress takes control of every scene she is in, expressing such genuine emotion, an absolute treat. The same goes for Bria Vinaite - this film is her acting debut, so to give this type of raw performance, it is amazing to see. Willem Dafoe gives one of my favorite performances of his since Platoon. I see why he was nominated for every single Supporting Actor award at every ceremony last year. His character provides a much needed human angle, showing us that there truly is good in this world of too many monsters. Check this film out on Prime Video asap, you will love it!