Very few films have been released in the past 7 years that I would clarify as important to cinema and audiences around the world. Some of these titles include 12 years a Slave (2013), Social Network (2010), The Master (2012) and Lincoln (2012); all films that detail important areas of history and fantastic examples of true human nature. In 2016, Moonlight has quite possibly trumped them all; if there was ever an example of poetry put into film, then this is it. One of the most beautiful drama’s I have seen in a very, very long time.
*SPOILER ALERT*
Based off the play by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Moonlight is a coming-of-age tale of a young black man named Chrion (Alex Hibbert (Little), Ashton Sanders (Chiron) & Trevante Rhodes (Black)) struggling through life in Liberty City, Miami. Split into 3 chapters, each one named after a key stage in life of the character, it details his struggle through finding his own identity with the help of drug dealer Juan (Mahershala Ali), sexual identity, his mother (Naomie Harris) going through drug addiction and his relationship to his best friend Kevin (Jaden Piner (Child), Jharrel Jerome (Teen) & André Holland (Adult)). This is the story that cinema has been waiting for; a relatable one that connects with the audience and won’t bow down to the vices of Hollywood. Sure, it is a story that has been told before, but here, in the 21st Century, it feels so much more relevant, telling the audience to look past stereotypes and follow your own choices. The dialogue may be a little sparse in places, but the visuals and themes of this film say more than words ever could.
Hollywood may have all the money needed to make big films, but independent filmmaking like this just feels so much more alive and personal; they have what Hollywood struggle to acquire, interpretability. Director Barry Jenkins clearly understands this and made something deeply personal and relevant to his life and the lives of potentially hundreds. Before you go ahead thinking this is his first film, it isn’t; his first film was Medicine for Melancholy (2008) which in many ways, poses the same questions as Moonlight, the difference however between the two projects is that this is a little closer to home. This altogether makes the film more believable and for that, it is a thrill to watch. More than that, the acting in this film is beyond belief. Both André Holland and Trevante Rhodes will be remembered forever for their performances in this film; a delicate ballet of drama, romance and bearing of their souls to the audience. Then you have the actors playing the younger versions of the characters, there is real development and depth throughout the roles in the story and I’m surprised that they weren’t considered for any major awards; to me, the acting in this was better than a lot of other films of 2016.
What really set this apart from the rest of the year, was the strength of the supporting performances of Naomie Harris and Mahershala Ali. We all knew that Naomie Harris was a brilliant actress, just look at her in 28 Days Later (2002), Skyfall (2012) and Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom (2013), but her performance in Moonlight is a whole new level. The intense struggle and emotional abuse she has to her son, combined with the unconditional love she has for him and her overarching drug abuse, makes for a character that is tragically realistic, yet at the same time, relatable and relevant for the audience, and indeed, the world. The real star of this film has to be Mahershala Ali. He had already made his mark in 2016 with his performance in Luke Cage, But Moonlight takes his tough-guy exterior and turns him into perhaps the most respectful, kindest and wisest character of 2016, if not, of the decade. It may seem odd knowing his characters profession, but just think; he has broken the stereotype to become something new and original.
It really is a magical film of acting and storytelling, and then we get to the technical side of the production. Obviously, it may be as grand or magnificent as films like Hacksaw Ridge (2016) or La La Land (2016), but that is beside the point. Just look at the sound design of this film; the sound of the crashing waves on the beaches of Miami, the muffled car stereos in the distance, the sound of life outside the school gates, a perfect reflection of the reality we live in, nothing too special, and yet it feels more special than ever.
Certainly, the sound of Moonlight is poetic, but that is nothing, compared to the music. Nicholas Britell has composed a musical score that on paper, really shouldn’t work, and yet it became of the best pieces of music that I heard of all 2016. Using a strange mix of classical tropes and a hip-hop chop and screw style of writing and composition, the score to Moonlight is almost incomparable to any other musical score that I have hear; it isn’t too dramatic, not really epic, from some scenes, it isn’t desperately trying to move the story forwards, there is only one word that can be used to describe the music of Moonlight, Poetic. It is truly magical music from a magical movie.
What perhaps is the most surprising feature of this film, is not how it sounds or how it is written, it is actually the look. The writer Tarell Alvin McCraney describes Miami as “a beautiful nightmare” and from watching the film, that statement may be right. Run down crack houses, lower class housing estates and rough neighbourhoods are what dominant the setting of Moonlight, however, in the midst of all of this, there is extraordinary beauty. Just the sight of the ocean or indeed the moon in the sky is some of the most beautiful imagery of 2016.
This is mainly down to the incredibly cinematography of James Laxton. He has already made his mark on cinema with Medicine for Melancholy (2008) and Tusk (2014) directed by Kevin Smith, but his work on Moonlight is something quite momentous. Shot on the Arri Alexa XT in RAW, the detail and colouration of the film mimics different film stocks; one stock per chapter, intensifying the amount of blue in a chapter, the skin tone in another and a more cinematic feel for the last one. The whole feel of this film is pure cinema, there isn’t any real link to documentary style of filmmaking or bigger more complicated films; it is unique and focuses on the characters throughout the film, without entirely ignoring the details of environments and lighting around them.
The whole pacing of this film and how each chapter is linked together is all thanks to the spectacular editing or Nat Sanders and Joi McMillon. On top of all that, the looks of the characters seem to reflect not just what they feel, but also their place in life. It isn’t all hip and gangster in Miami, there is deeper meaning.
Moonlight is for me, one of the most important and awe-inspiring films of the 21st Century. It may not have the legacy or professional appeal as other films, but if you are a true film fan, like films produced by A24 (like me) and want to experience emotion and feeling on screen, then it is impossible to do better.
I give this film, obviously, a 10/10.
Robs Raving Reviews 