Who is you Moonlight?
Moonlight is a story about a young man named Chiron who ventures through life in an urban, inner city setting struggling with sexuality and identity. We follow him first as an young boy then as a teenager and finally as an adult facing the same persecution from childhood to adulthood, from outsiders and from himself.
Moonlight discusses identity and sexuality which is something I believe everyone goes through at some point in life making this film very universal. It is a remarkable piece of art that stands out from anything in its category. The cinematography is incredible. It lures the viewer in and envelopes them completely. This is important because of the role the cinematography plays in the film. In certain moments the camera moves like another character in the story placing us in the heart of the characters and the motive of the director. The colors are so saturated and pretty, it effectively captures the essence of the setting which is Miami, Florida. The cinematography works in perfect harmonious contrast with the theme and quintessence of the film of which is somewhat melancholy. It is beautiful to see such vibrant and strong colors while the discourse of the film is sad and gloomy.
Most people consider tone and mood as synonymous terms but they have subtle yet different meanings. Mood is the emotion that the film brings whereas tone is the attitude the creator (writer, director) has towards the film. In this case the mood of the film was somber and arcane with a heavy underlaying of anger and grief and it is done so masterfully that the mood stays with you after you’ve completed the film. With the theme of sexuality and identity being so relatable and most people having gone through some type of crises involving the two, the tone of the film brings the viewer back to that time when we struggled with those concepts therefore bringing those emotions back to the surface. This is a beautiful thing because it shows we have all gone through tough times in our life dealing with identity and sexuality and it’s sometimes nice to know that you are not the only one to have struggled. The film is broken up into three acts, Chiron as a young boy, teenager and as an adult and each actor portraying Chiron did a wonderful job. The acting and the mood worked so cohesively, there is no question of what to feel when you’re suppose to feel it.
In some areas the film struggles to get movement from the viewer whether it be through emotion or meaning. The writing seem to be stagnant and insipid. There were times where I lost interest or felt a little anxious because of Chiron. He’s reticent and brooding from a child to an adult which is realistic as well as understandable but there are times where he came off more like a mute than a shy person. It’s a little unconventional not having the main character’s words or actions completely dictate a story’s direction and when it doesn’t, the character seems flawed though there is so much going on underneath that it seems justified.
The pacing seemed a little sluggish. There were moments where the audience is on pins and needles waiting for a catharsis but we sit in dramatic pause. It’s okay a few times but just like anything, if you use it too much, it loses its effect. While the moments that are dominated by dramatic pause seem to slow the pacing, the other moments where we are watching Chiron perform mundane tasks, that don’t have very much meaning to the film as a whole, also weigh the film down.
Overall Moonlight is a great film and is projected to win many awards in 2017. I’d recommend this film to anyone especially those who have struggled with being different from what is considered normal or conventional. It has a great message, remarkable cinematography and incredible depth from the characters to the plot.