Moonlight (2016)

It's difficult to put into words what exactly is so incredible about Moonlight. To just say it's timely and important is to totally miss the point. It is a very rewarding albeit challenging experience. The movie is so powerful and personal and yet simultaneously restrained. In movies about a rough childhood, you expect screaming matches at every turn, but it's not that kind of movie. Barry Jenkins has so much control over the pacing of the story that these three small snapshots of Chiron's life become an epic tale of life. An epic that is not extraordinary, but rather authentic and raw. It is so powerful because it is realistic. Mahershala Ali shows us the drug dealer character, but he overcomes the stereotype by being vulnerable. He takes us past the tough guy persona and puts a human dimension to his character. Even if you have not lived Chiron's life, you are made to understand it and contemplate identity and intersectionality in a way that most people never do. The audience is given a lot of time to think and simmer. The moments of silence are plentiful. Tense and deliberate, they are the things that don't need to be said out loud that we simply read through context that are really heart wrenching. It is something that I think surely gets lost in the Italian subtitles, that were woefully inadequate. They did not catch the subtlety of the language, nor the slang nor cadence. I could imagine the hack job they did dubbing the film.

The three actors that play Chiron and the three actors that play Kevin are all excellent. The progression of their characters is impactful. Kevin is played with such charm. And Chiron, again, is just so restrained. Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris are Oscar nominated, deservedly so. I think it's also worth pointing out Janelle Monae, who has had an excellent year out of her element, or rather in her new element. In addition to singing and performing, she is now a bona fide actress.

The camerawork is beautiful. The first thing I noticed was the strong depth of field. In the very first scene, the characters look almost hyper real standing against the blurry background. And the camera revolves around them in a single take. The scene in the ocean, accompanied by the intensely searing violin, is striking. The camera dips in and out of the water as the waves lap over it. It is a visceral experience. The music throughout the film is really well chosen.  I don't know what it was but the instrumentation in all of the songs chosen fit each scene perfectly.