MOONLIGHT

I am in such awe of this film that I had to ruminate over it, and then watch again from beginning to end. 

It has been a very, very long time since I have been so profoundly moved by a film as I was with this one. Sadly, the best way I can describe such an intense melding of story, acting, visuals, pacing, and sound is with the very tired cliché of “masterpiece”. Moonlight, the Oscar-winning Best Picture in 2017, is an unapologetic masterpiece. Watching it is like staring at a canvas by Picasso or Pollock and imagining you get to see it from the first drop of paint through its finality. It’s often messy, continually fluid, and always mesmerizing.

The movie follows a character named Chiron in three distinct phases of his life… childhood, teen years, and adulthood. His attempts to find connection with other people are most often hindered by circumstances and conditions beyond his own control. Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes are each phenomenal in bringing Chiron to life through these three phases. Naomie Harris as Chiron’s mother and Mahershala Ali as Juan both turn in performances worthy of the Oscar nominations each of them received (Ali took home the award for Best Supporting Actor).

Directed by Barry Jenkins, appropriately an Oscar nominee himself, this film is one best left to unfold itself individually to each viewer. To present the specifics and nuances of the story or storytelling would be a disservice to anyone who is interested in watching a truly superlative film. Best that you watch it and see how it makes you feel, free of any preconceived conclusions.

This movie will both uplift and haunt me for a long time.