Moonlight (Barry Jenkins)

[Ezee E]

IMDB (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4975722/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/474x/1a/02/7d/1a027d5cb2313ef83d7a3bce596377 1e.jpg

[Ezee E]

Todd Haynes goes to Miami on a lower budget. That's how I feel about this, and I love that it comes from out of nowhere. Every character that comes and goes, I wanted to know more about, and the movie could easily be about them. Instead, it focuses on Black, and this is one of the few times where there are quirks/body movements/mannerisms that are consistent throughout all three time periods.

Especially dig that Barry Jenkins, a former Telluride staff member, made this happen. I've gotten to speak with him every year at the festival for a bit as he curates a segment at my theatre every year. Only this time, he had the Blue Pass (Guest Pass) instead of the Staff Pass. Great job and congrats to Barry.

[Ezee E]

Saw this a second time today, and it significantly improved for me here. I'm going to bed for the night, will expand in the morning.

Hoping more people see this one.

[Stay Puft]

It's playing in Toronto now so I'm gonna try and catch it next week.

[number8]

It's a beautiful movie. As with Medicine for Melancholy, it's a straightforward and familiar story that Jenkins fills with so much heartbreaking details and weight. There's so much emotion and drama in just the shots of Chiron walking.

[Stay Puft]

Well, this basically just broke my fucking heart...

[Spinal]

First part: masterful
Second part: masterful
Third part: ... still thinking about it.

Regardless, an excellent film with just the right balance between naturalism and artiness. I liked that the central character is not very articulate and yet, by the end, we have such a rich understanding of his inner life. Excellent performances by basically everyone.

[number8]

Do percolate on it, because I'm inclined to think that the third segment's the most artfully controlled one.

[Ezee E]

For me, there's no doubt that the first part is the best of the bunch. Each character is excellent in their own right. Watching it the second time, it stood out even more so.

But I think the third may be the most artful of the bunch in terms of directorial choices. There's a lot of subtle pieces in the third that I like a lot.

[Mal]

Each segment made me cry, so it's all golden for me.
It's been a long time since I've seen a movie that, from the very start til the last frame, grabbed me as a viewer and left me speechless.

[Ivan Drago]

But I think the third may be the most artful of the bunch in terms of directorial choices. There's a lot of subtle pieces in the third that I like a lot.

My favorite edit is in the third part: when Chiron's driving back to Florida and the high-angle shot of his car slowly dissolves into a shot of children playing in the low tide.

This could have been an overdramatized soapbox film given the circumstances of its protagonist's difficult upbringing, but Chiron's story is directed with so much restraint that the minimalist performances of every actor playing him hits harder than an outburst ever would. The subtleties Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris evoke in their performances convey the humanity of their characters over their tropes. Everything from the score to the cinematography and atmosphere, as well as the use of the color blue as a visual motif complement Chiron's inner struggles so well that it often feels like reality plays out on screen. And then there's the final shot, and all it conveys. It's one of those films that can be viewed as a pursuit of masculinity on the first viewing, and a commentary on low-income African-American life on the next.

In summation, Moonlight is a thought provoking, visually driven, emotionally moving film with the perfect blend of naturalist and artistic sensibilities within its direction that it hasn't left my mind since I saw it, and to this day, I not only consider it my favorite film of 2016, it's also everything cinema should be as an art form.

[baby doll]

A solid character study for sure, but I didn't find it as emotionally moving as you guys did. Jenkins directorial choices often seemed more decorative than purposeful (the opening steadicam shot being an obvious example), and Mahershala Ali's paternal drug dealer reminded me a little too much of Anthony Mackie's paternal drug dealer in Half Nelson.

[Idioteque Stalker]

I've been watching more movies than usual, many of which I've liked or loved, but this one is sitting exceptionally well. Just seeing a few clips during the Golden Globes the other night evoked all sorts of feelings. I don't know if it will end up my personal favorite movie of the year, but it seems obvious to me that it is the movie of the year. Can't wait to see it again.

[DavidSeven]

It unexpectedly draws you in with how lived-in it feels. It's definitely a Linklater in that way. But it also sets itself apart -- this film isn't afraid of artistic flourishes or the dramatic paired with everyday nuances. The distinct segments invite comparison, and, unfortunately, the film's final act doesn't feel quite as rich and naturalistic as what came before.

Raw and refreshingly conceptualized, certainly. Not without dramatic flaws, but beautifully crafted and performed.

[Peng]

Pending a rewatch to be really sure about this film, because I was so floored by its third act, both in its emotional impact and how it closes out Chiron's arc, after some ambivalence about the first two. Specifically, the uneasy blend of abstraction and realism. Often the push-and-pull works (there is some criticism against Naomie Harris' performance, but I think a lot of her scenes work in this mode well), but also often they can negate each other a bit; Chiron's silence lends to some great lyrical passages, but, especially in the second act where school becomes more prevalent, can tip over from a character trait into a slight feeling of empty blank slate when pitched against more realistic, gritty situations. The performances help this clash to not become a serious liability, but it still nags me a bit throughout.

That third act though... Barry Jenkins has built enough backstory by now to go more full-on lyricism, which suits him perfectly. Wong Kar-Wai has been mentioned often about Jenkins' approach, and what really makes this act for me is Trevante Rhodes as the oldest iteration of Chiron, who does not only gives a powerful, smoldering Wong Kar-Wai-character performance, but also is still fully apiece of the previous two Chirons. He is the great bridge between two modes and three character arcs, managing to build on the past and progress it forward wonderfully. The combination of Jenkins' exquisite direction and soulful performances by both Rhodes and Andre Holland (equally excellent) has me leave this character study in as good a high as I've had from any 2016 film. 8/10

[Ezee E]

Funny how Barry Jenkins came across Wong Kar-Wai... He was tired of people ripping off American movies in Film School, so he went to the foreign film section, and saw the Tarantino Presents series that had come out, and figured that was as good of a start as any... From there it would lead him to Claire Denis, one of his absolute favorites.

[Dukefrukem]

18-0 consensus. Can't remember the last time MC fully agreed on a movie.

[Grouchy]

Eh, I liked it, but I'm way less enamored with it than you guys. I have no clear criticism to level against it, it's just that it wasn't a particularly memorable experience for me. The drug dealer character is a bit goofy. I liked the cinematography a lot, though.

[TGM]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIu0Ms2tE2I