When was the last time you thought about life? I mean really sit down and think about the events that have happened throughout your life that has gotten you to this point? For me, it has been a while, but I have taken some time to think and the reason why I am doing that is because of the film, "Moonlight". The film is by far one of the best of 2016, and come Oscar season, it should be one of the biggest contenders for major awards. Written and directed by Barry Jenkins, director of "Medicine for Melancholy," he turns "Moonlight" into a brilliant portrayal of a dysfunctional life filled with drugs, violence, and questions of sexuality.
Now, let it be said that this film is not for the light of heart. There are many situations that can hard to watch, but that is what makes this film so brilliant--it's messy, and it is also real. That is the main reason why this film has been ruling conversation since its release.
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The film is cut up into three distinctive parts: the first being "Little," which follows Chiron, the main character, as a child; the second part, "Chiron," follows our protagonist as he navigates through high school while getting bullied as well as learning his sexuality; the third part, "Black," follows Chiron as he lives as a drug dealer in Atlanta.
Normally, films that are broken up like this are all over the place, but there is something different about this film. There is no jaggedness between the parts and it all flows together beautifully, just like life.
The cast of this film stands out just as much as the rest of the production. Chiron is played by, (from child to adult) Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes, and each of the actors plays the part brilliantly. Hibbert's portrayal of Little is so reserved that you would be fooled into thinking that Hibbert always acts like that. Sanders plays the part of Chiron perfectly and while it is hard to watch some of the bullying that he goes through, he performs the part perfectly. Rhodes plays Black effortlessly as someone who has had a rough life and who is clearly a product of his upbringing.
While the three principal actors are great, the supporting cast is astounding. Chiron's mother is played by Naomie Harris, who turns in her best performance of her career as a crack-addicted fiend who constantly abuses Chiron all the time. Mahershala Ali plays Juan, a crack dealer who takes Little Chiron under his wing. In addition to this, Janelle Monae turns in a great acting debut as Theresa, Juan's girlfriend who takes care of Chiron as he grows up.
If you are in the mood to see a film that will make you go through the choices that you have made through your life, I would definitely recommend this to you. If you see one film this year, make sure you go see "Moonlight".
