Moonlight Review: In “Moonlight” good films look great
“Moonlight” is a 2016 film by Director Barry Jenkins.
4.8⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
My first thoughts are so everywhere because this film just leaves so much to the individual viewer. So many topics are covered from gender to nature vs nurture, sexuality, drugs, addiction, love, family, community, identity and so much more. As a straight Indian male, I truly cannot connect with any of the main ideas of this story but it just lingers in my brain and the ideas slowly seep into my life and I see how much of a universal story as I go about loving my life. The director creates an atmosphere where it is so personal that everything is connected and it all makes sense. The main story focuses on Chiron (Trevonte Rhodes) as he grows up and grows into the world of Miami. The 3 acts of the film break into Chiron’s youth, teenage years and adulthood and we see 3 different people who are so different but so much the same.
The cinematography is astonishing entirely breathtaking. Done by James Laxton creates the world so truly that it feels lived in. Everyone is seemingly placed in the spotlight perfectly at every moment and it from this attention to detail that makes the actors shine. It is even more of an amazement because the modern camera and camera people do not know how to light dark skins properly but here we see them almost shine under the lights. All of the characters have a happy glow around them whether they are in the light or in the dark. Often there is this blurry but colorful vision of the all the stories. It is like how we see our memories, no matter how good or bad, the past was always a better time for most of us.
What we are shown feels almost like a memory and it is amazing. Whether it is from the grounded perspective or the idealistic colors found in all of the different vignettes, there is a personal feeling that is created. Everything connects whether it visually or thematically and one of the best comes from Mahershala Ali’s character Juan. He seemingly fathers young Chiron and by the end of the movie, Chiron is almost a replica of Juan. The film truly showcases how one individual can be shaped by the world around him and how his experiences take him down a certain path.
The music is also a key part of the film as it comes in through the character’s world. Many times while driving we get a look into the world of the character by what they play on their radios and whether it be jazz, modern radio hits or everything in-between the viewer can understand the world we are being shown even more. One of the things that I learned after listening to some interviews about the film was the use of a style of music called ‘chopped and screwed’. This means that the music was slowed down and messed with in tone so that it is the same song but it has an almost somber, dreamlike quality to it. One of the main time this is obvious is when Classic Man by Jidenna comes and it creates this unique feeling of ecstasy that suits the mood of that scene so well.
Overall, this film just showcases the world we live in today through a fresh lens and its refreshing. Watching a small film like this makes you appreciate film and the attention and care given my the filmmakers is appreciated. Whether it is the influences from Asian cinema to the heart of hip-hop that underlines the film it truly is a masterpiece.
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