Moonlight (2016) Reviews

• Simple, Painful, Outstandingly Beautiful

  greeenchik2017-03-01

  Moonlight is one of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching films that I have ever seen. Many users are expressing disdain or presumed it to be dull. Yet, to see it as such misses the whole point of the film. Moonlight wasn't intended to overtly wow us or give us knowledge about something we didn't already know. Rather the film allowed us to enter and follow a life that I'm sure many have never considered living. Yes, we know some about poverty, queerness, masculinity, and Blackness individually, but to see the conflict of it all so succinctly woven together allowed the complexity of some folks lives to be seen in an unadulterated way. Moonlight wasn't supposed to give us some grandiose finale or even answers, but simply present a narrative that we often don't see. And that's what makes it so simple, painful, yet outstandingly beautiful. It's also important to remember that just because you don't understand something, that doesn't mean it is unimportant or invalid. Just because you can't relate to the entire story doesn't mean pieces of it can't teach you something about life. Just because the narrative is one that isn't widely told, doesn't mean it should be disregarded. If you don't understand this film or find it a waste, look deep inside yourself and ask why. 10/10 would recommend.

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• Three One Everything

  marcosaguado2017-01-04

  When a film comes out and you know next to nothing about it with a director you don't know and a cast of mostly unknowns and it blows you away like it did me. Then I know I'm confronted by something unique. In fact it was director/writer Martin Donovan who wrote about Moonlight, urging all his actors to run and see it. Thank you sir. The faces of those three young men who are just one did something to my brain and to my heart. The best group of actors I've seen in one single film in a long, long time. The big surprise is that we knew it all along. It's all about love and what it means to be a man. Thank you Barry Jenkisns A revolutionary film made of truth and beauty.

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• A film about nothing

  jtindahouse2017-02-22

  With all the controversy back in 2016 over the #Oscarssowhite shambles, it seems that in 2017 the Academy has made a conscious effort to include as much diversity into the show as they possibly can. Unfortunately, the downside of that is that films like 'Moonlight', which are in reality very average, get recognition they don't deserve and people are fooled into thinking they are better than they actually are. 'Moonlight' is a simple film, in fact it's far too simple. There is almost nothing thought-provoking or interesting that happens for the entire 110 minute run time. Yet somehow it's up for a plethora of awards. Go figure. Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris have each been nominated for Academy Awards in their respective Supporting categories. Ali is quite brilliant, in fact he's the highlight of the film. He's in nearly the entire first third of the film and I was starting to wonder how this was considered a "Supporting" role, yet he soon drops away. I wish he had been in it for longer though, because he was quite superb. Harris was also quite good in her role. She has a more spread out performance in the film, reoccurring in each chapter. I wouldn't say she blew me away, but she was certainly solid in her role. I will predict Ali to win his category, and Harris to miss out. 'Moonlight' is one of those films that just kind of drifts along until the credits role. The question I kept asking myself as I watched it was, what is meant to be so extraordinary about these characters? What part of this story justifies making a film out of it? To me it appears that some impressive acting and some false award nominations have tricked people into thinking this film is better than it is. Very disappointing.

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• Identity Takes Time to Discover

  bardia-moose2016-11-02

  To solely categorize this film as an examination of Chiron, a young African American who has to deal with being gay is accurate but inadequate. It wouldn't be inadequate to also categorize it as a movie about drug abuse, school bullying, and isolation. However, if someone were to ask me what MOONLIGHT is truly about I would say that, at it's core, it's a film about teaching a child how to swim, feeling the sand on your skin, and cooking a meal for an old friend. Director Berry Jenkins is not afraid to be poetic, to guide his film away from conventional storytelling and offer his audience something to connect to in their own way. The way his camera roams around is sensually magnificent; he knows when to cut to the next shot and when to linger a few seconds longer. But above all else, his ability to add an extra texture to each scene is awe-inspiring; it's more than just style for the sake of style; it's essential to the movie's argument. From the very first shot to the very last, MOONLIGHT is about as beautiful a movie as you're likely to see this year. The colours are rich and luminous; James Laxton's cinematography is visually immersive leaving you stranded inside the story of the film. It moves at a smooth, welcoming pace. The music, whether it be the classical or hip-hop selections as well as Nicholas Britell's subtle score, is perfect. And the performance are, well… they're the cherry on top. It's uncanny how similar the 3 actors, who played the kid, teenage, and adult versions of Chiron behaved and acted; you'd almost think it was the same actor who played all three roles. Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris are more deserving of Oscar nominations than just about anyone I've seen this year. They may be the standouts, but all the performances, ranging from the children to the adults, are so raw and powerful; a standing ovation for the casting director is in order. But perhaps the thing about this movie that deserves the most acclaim is its open-endedness; it's fight against straightforward categorization and recap. MOONLIGHT so much more than a movie about growing up gay; it's about overcoming your adversities and, despite being a product of your environment, figuring out who you want to become. Identity takes time to discover, and that's something anyone can relate to.

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• Moonlight is everything a movie should be and more

  lovelypagesreviews2017-03-04

  I've seen a lot of movies lately, mostly because we've had a series of amazing releases but Moonlight affected me deeply on a personal level like very few managed to do in the past few years. Having seen the trailer only once and knowing the brilliant cast – Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Janelle Monae – I was sure this one would be a hit. And ten minutes into it I had already gotten a handful of tissues out, like the rest of the audience in the theater and was silently wiping my tears while the actors gave a stellar performance. First of all, I was ecstatic to see that Moonlight featured an all black cast. From behind the camera, to the leads, down to the last extra, kudos and please can we have more already? Second of all, Moonlight showed that a movie can talk about queerness in the black community and turn it into art and present it with dignity and beauty and capture the essence of being a black gay man, the masculinity and actually show the struggles, it went to places a few movies would dare to go and it spoke to me; I know for a fact a lot of people walked out of the cinema more accepting and open-minded. I had a 70-year-old grandpa sitting next to me, weeping and crying like a child, I have never felt more connected with the people I'm randomly watching a movie with. I can't talk about Moonlight enough, the cinematography was exquisite and the directing was epic, the editing just brilliant. I could almost feel the sunlight through the screen and the humidity in the air. The camera takes you with the people and it captures emotion and feelings like you are there, somehow managing to peak into their lives. Despite the fact that the movie goes from decade to decade, childhood, young adult and grown man, you never feel any gaps in the story. Sure through the years there are noticeable differences and happenings we don't know about – and never really get answers to – but this is Chiron's story and unlike books, people don't go about their life everyday talking about the past, or recalling life altering events. We get three major turning points in Chiron's life, presented beautifully and with a painful honesty. The ending left me gasping and a mess, I was happy and full of emotions and love and I still remember scenes from the movie and my heart breaks for Little and at the same time I feel happy for Black and I want to protect Chiron. Moonlight is everything a movie should be and more; an example of how things can and should be portrayed and it all comes with brilliant performances and incredible directing. If there's only one movie you'll watch this year, it's Moonlight. This is why representation matters and why we need more of it. Take everyone with you, recommend it to as many people as you can, never stop talking about it.

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