Moonlight Movie Review

Sometimes in life, we begin to realize how hard the simple act of affection is, where it begins to show, and where its absence becomes apparent. The growth of a struggling boy, in some cases can be almost absurd, as it begins to weigh down on his virtues. What he is lead to believe and his experiences that molded the character of who he is can be under constant pressure from the seemingly unguided will of everyone else. Three stages are leading this boy toward adulthood: “Little,” “Chirone,” and finally, “Black.” This is the narrative of “Moonlight,” a movie showcasing the details and hardships of a boy named Chiron, played by Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes, going through discovery of his identity and sexuality, especially related to his perception of affection. These are also the arcs of the film, from boy, adolescent, to adult.

The pacing inside of the film becomes too disparate when we come closer and closer to the displayed realism the movie emphasizes, converging into an ominous atmosphere. “Moonlight” takes place in the wildest part of modern America, the outskirts of Miami during the drug war. A place where ambition and success take a step back, and survival takes its place. Motivations of the people are purely based on themselves, and the result is a chaotic mess surrounding the development of Chiron's life.

Do not enter this film expecting an epic story, with enormous sets and absurdly high budgets. Currently, you would only find Moonlight showing at smaller theaters appealing to a more niche market, where you would find indie-films or foreign films. But I wouldn’t say Moonlight itself should be considered a niche film, because its story is comprised of very down-to-earth elements relating to an individual's stages through life, something familiar to many of us. I guess one would label this film as a “coming of age” movie, but it honestly couldn’t be compared to the many movies existing in that genre. “Moonlight” displays very unusual and brushed off themes that similar films choose to ignore, but also with a fortunate lack of glorification. The movie deals with touchy topics, but succeeds in stripping away any dramatization usually found along with them. The struggle can be pretty bad in Miami, but it isn’t one dimensional and can’t be connected to one concrete source.

Chirone deals with neglect from his drug-addicted mother, but we are shown the mother’s stability earlier on. And more impressively, this wasn’t completely focused on when the moment was shown, as the story purposely places its elements to suggest and assert, rather than proclaim. His decisions aren’t as linear as to be the objectively right ones, because one could easily discuss whether his acts were justified.

Other characters seem to have depth as well. Chrion’s father figure, Juan, played by Mahershala Ali, is introduced as a leader of a drug dealers. Yet, we see him personally take the responsibility for Chiron’s well being when his mother begins to distance herself. Another example is Chiron’s long-term friend, depicted by Jharrel Jerome, initially used to display the normality of adolescence in contrast to Chiron's own identity, though, is then shown to have sincere feelings for the same gender. Again, nothing is blatant or preachy, a true charm of the movie.

Interpretation is a beautiful element for a film--when art is truly formed from a cinematic experience, where the viewer becomes engrossed in the experience and later reflects on the true meaning of a film. “Moonlight” does this justice, as every integrated aspect of the movie has a purpose and is intentional. More reputable is its primary goal to showcase eloquently executed realism from a human perspective. While not so accessible as a Hollywood movie, it is a truly enthralling experience.

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