Moonlight Review (2016)

Moonlight

  Moonlight is a coming of age story about a boy who is growing up in the hood. His mother is addicted to drugs, his only father figure in life sells his mother those drugs, and he's constantly being bullied at school for being gay.
  Let me start off by saying that Moonlight is a very liberal friendly film in it's conversations about homosexuality and accepting yourself. Thankfully, this is more of a minor subplot then it is the main course, but it still does leave a bit of a bitter taste in your mouth.
  Now being objective, there was a lot to like about this film from a technical and story aspect. The cinematography by James Laxton is absolutely gorgeous and poetic. The way he uses color, the way he frames the shot. It's a great looking film with a beautiful score to accompany it.
  From a story aspect, it really is a nature vs nurture type film. It shows us this young, thoughtful boy, mature into a more hard, street-type character. Using three different acts and three different actors, we are forced to question how young Chiron might have turned out if these expectations for what black masculinity should look like hadn't been so present in his youth.
  Moonlight is a very layered and sophisticated film, designed to start much needed conversation. All of it's character's have a depth, vulnerability, and humanity about them that's not usually seen in cinema these days. 7 out of 10 stars (Very Good)