Moonlight (I) (2016) User Reviews (1,017)

Works better if thought of as a good indie, rather than an Oscar winner

[demented_peruvian · 7/10 · 6 March 2017]

I remember the 'good old days' when IMDb review forums had a more balanced array of reviews, instead of everyone rating something 1 or 10, and then adding politics. So I'll add some of that to the mix. This was my experience: I watched it post-Oscar. My reaction: "Moonlight" is that type of movie that is best appreciated as a "hey, that was an interesting indie; it's well acted and I wonder what the director will do next", instead of an Oscar winner for best movie and best screenplay. It's the type of film that I would have added to my list after seeing it show up somewhere in the Independent Spirit Awards, like "L.I.E.", "Our Lady of the Assassins", "Paranoid Park", etc. It's stylish, it captures a slice of life, and it is mostly engaging. Unfortunately, like others point out, it feels under-done, like each act was cut short a little, and in particular the last act is underwhelming, and too much like a first-time screenwriter's autobiographical play. It's Oscar-winning screenplay is ironically quite short on story-telling, dialogue (yes, sometimes appropriately intentionally, other times just not very creative), and scenes that will engage enough.

The cinematography is interesting, with a video-game like POV, floating over the lead character's shoulders from behind, inviting you into the action. There's some nice shots, good use of music (although sometimes cut a bit abruptly, and I would have liked to have heard more of the beautiful score), and a lot of use of the senses. Feel the ice, feel the sand, taste the food, enjoy the nightlight; it all feels relaxing, enhancing the ability to escape a grim reality into something more beautiful. Other sounds are blocked out or intentionally out of sync. I liked that Barry Jenkins was able to capture that.

The first act has an excellent scene with a showdown between a surrogate father and an absent mother, which is also a debate about the drug dealer/drug user relationship. Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris are great in these respective roles. There's discussion of identity, acceptance, masculinity, and bullying. The second act builds on a climax in which the characters stands up for himself, literally and figuratively, and then takes on a sociopathic bully, who is one of this year's scariest villains. The third act tries to balance a charming but thin love story, while exploring identity, and the influence of our role models and life circumstances on ourselves.

It sounds better than what it is, unfortunately. The trailer is great. But, again, the screenplay is underdeveloped. The third act is a different film, or perhaps needed to be shorter and add an additional act between that and the second one, to further flesh out the story.

A tough watch that will stay with me

[robinssa-98507 · 8/10 · 18 April 2018]

I watched this In two sittings and was glad of the break. The three ages of the main protagonist all play their part excellently, and each in their own way shows a sadness and sense of being trapped with a secret that is unacceptable to the people around them, as a child, teenager and adult. Not a world that I've ever seen portrayed before which is why I think it is worthy of its accolades. This feels like an insider account of growing up gay in a tough neighbourhood.

Brooding, challenging and sad but well worth the watch.

Moonlight is a wonderfully made movie told in three parts, perfectly encapsulating a difficult story to tell

[gouldjakew · 8/10 · 5 December 2016]

Moonlight is the story of Chiron (nicknamed Little) told in three parts. Part one shows him as a child struggling to fit in, part two shows him as a teenager working to discover who he is, and part three explores his life as an adult. Its story is paced well, and although it isn't the most complicated story, the movie was engaging and rarely got boring. The writers took chances, such as only having Chiron speak periodically. They used silence very well in this movie.

The camera work was generally unimpressive, save for a few interesting uses, such as the very opening shot of the movie. The same could be said about the lighting, however this movie didn't exactly need any special lighting effects. The character driven plot and writing were more than enough to keep this movie interesting.

Barry Jenkins (director, writer) and Yesi Ramirez (casting director) did a great job mixing well known actors with less experienced ones. Mahershala Ali (House of Cards, Luke Cage, The Hunger Games), and Naomie Harris (Skyfall, Spectre, Pirates of the Caribbean) highlight a deep cast, one in which it is hard to find a weak link.

Moonlight deserves the praise it garnered at the Toronto Film Festival, where it premiered. This film tells a story which is often overlooked, and one that is important to hear.

Simple, Painful, Outstandingly Beautiful

[greeenchik · 10/10 · 1 March 2017]

Moonlight is one of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching films that I have ever seen. Many users are expressing disdain or presumed it to be dull. Yet, to see it as such misses the whole point of the film. Moonlight wasn't intended to overtly wow us or give us knowledge about something we didn't already know. Rather the film allowed us to enter and follow a life that I'm sure many have never considered living. Yes, we know some about poverty, queerness, masculinity, and Blackness individually, but to see the conflict of it all so succinctly woven together allowed the complexity of some folks lives to be seen in an unadulterated way. Moonlight wasn't supposed to give us some grandiose finale or even answers, but simply present a narrative that we often don't see. And that's what makes it so simple, painful, yet outstandingly beautiful.

It's also important to remember that just because you don't understand something, that doesn't mean it is unimportant or invalid. Just because you can't relate to the entire story doesn't mean pieces of it can't teach you something about life. Just because the narrative is one that isn't widely told, doesn't mean it should be disregarded. If you don't understand this film or find it a waste, look deep inside yourself and ask why.

10/10 would recommend.

Coming of Age in All Its Complexities

[evanston_dad · 9/10 · 28 November 2016]

"Moonlight" may very well be a breath of fresh air to others who are tired to death of our culture's obsession with labeling and categorizing everything in an attempt to understand it. If it can't be easily categorized, it's either frightening and something to be opposed to, or it's abnormal and therefore something to be marginalized.

The main conflict at the heart of "Moonlight," a beautiful movie about a young black man's coming of age in poor and drug-afflicted Miami, is our protagonist's inability to define himself in terms that his environment will allow. He doesn't fit into any of the categories available to him, so he sets out to force himself into one that seems like the best option. His name is Chiron, and the movie shows him to us at three stages of his life, portrayed by three different but wonderful actors. As a little boy, he struggles with loneliness and neglect thanks to a crack-addicted mom (played by Naomie Harris) and takes to the first person who offers to be a father figure to him. In a Dickensian twist, this person happens to be a drug dealer who nevertheless offers him sympathy and understanding not to be found anywhere else. The middle section depicts Chiron as a young man navigating his emerging homosexuality and the high school bullying that goes along with it. In the film's final and most breathtaking sequence, we follow Chiron as a man in his twenties to a reunion with a high school friend who gave him his first gay experience and whom he's never been able to completely move on from. This entire sequence is directed, written, and acted with utmost delicacy.

I can't think of a movie in recent memory that puts loneliness and anguish on screen more effectively than "Moonlight." It's a movie that asks us to see life from the perspective of a very specific individual but then draws universal conclusions from it that makes the superficial differences between him and the viewer (I'm not black, I'm not gay, I didn't grow up in a poor urban environment) melt away until you feel deep compassion and sympathy for a fellow human being who is doing what we all are -- navigating the complexities of living on this world and making the best of it we can.

Grade: A

Magnificent

[johnenyc · 16 February 2017]

A sensitive, probing drama. Exploring America through race and sexuality. Beautifully acted, written, directed. To see black Americans portrayed with such complexity is so rare in mainstream American film. And then, on top of this, a sympathetic and positive portrait of gay men. I have a cringe meter which monitors how we, gays, are treated. Goes off constantly in most films. Not Moonlight, not a single cringe meter gong. Wonderful film.

Another case where a film wins the Best Picture Oscar but the average viewer simply won't enjoy the picture.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 31 January 2020]

"Moonlight" won the Oscar for Best Picture. While this clearly means that the folks at the Academy enjoyed and appreciated the film, this does not mean that the movie is one that most people would enjoy. Like "The English Patient", there seems to be a real disconnect between Hollywood and the viewing public...and the film isn't particularly enjoyable to watch...and at times, it's actually rather painful or dreadfully slow. Not a terrible film at all...but I don't understand all the hype.

The film is about a young man named Chiron. The film is broken into three distinct phases. In phase one, Chiron is about 7 years-old. His life stinks. His mother is a crack addict and he's often beaten up by neighborhood gangs. The sole positive relationship is with an adult named Juan. Juan is an odd case...he's a drug dealer and a very tough guy. But he's also very tender and loving towards Chiron...and he doesn't seem to have any negative agenda...he just cares about the kid. Phase two is middle school. Chiron is still an exceptionally quiet young man...and he's still beaten up by gangs. He mostly tries to do his own thing...and Juan is no longer in his life. His only friend...well, that's a problematic relationship and I don't want to say more, as it might ruin the film. Phase three is adulthood and I am guessing Chiron is about 30. He now is very much like Juan...a drug dealer, but a very lonely one.

The problem with this movie for me is that although the acting was exceptional and very realistic, the plot seemed almost inconsequential at times. Additionally, the movie's plot is quite vague. What's also vague is Chiron's sexuality. I read that the film is a very gay-positive film about a gay man...though this has been so de-emphasized I am shocked anyone really even cared. I wish they'd explored this is greater detail...and provided a lot less slow, uninteresting moments. Overall, a good film but certainly nothing that seems Oscar-worthy...and I still feel very confused by all this hubbub about "Moonlight".

Identity Takes Time to Discover

[bardia-moose · 10/10 · 2 November 2016]

To solely categorize this film as an examination of Chiron, a young African American who has to deal with being gay is accurate but inadequate. It wouldn't be inadequate to also categorize it as a movie about drug abuse, school bullying, and isolation. However, if someone were to ask me what MOONLIGHT is truly about I would say that, at it's core, it's a film about teaching a child how to swim, feeling the sand on your skin, and cooking a meal for an old friend. Director Berry Jenkins is not afraid to be poetic, to guide his film away from conventional storytelling and offer his audience something to connect to in their own way. The way his camera roams around is sensually magnificent; he knows when to cut to the next shot and when to linger a few seconds longer. But above all else, his ability to add an extra texture to each scene is awe-inspiring; it's more than just style for the sake of style; it's essential to the movie's argument. From the very first shot to the very last, MOONLIGHT is about as beautiful a movie as you're likely to see this year. The colours are rich and luminous; James Laxton's cinematography is visually immersive leaving you stranded inside the story of the film. It moves at a smooth, welcoming pace. The music, whether it be the classical or hip-hop selections as well as Nicholas Britell's subtle score, is perfect. And the performance are, well… they're the cherry on top. It's uncanny how similar the 3 actors, who played the kid, teenage, and adult versions of Chiron behaved and acted; you'd almost think it was the same actor who played all three roles. Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris are more deserving of Oscar nominations than just about anyone I've seen this year. They may be the standouts, but all the performances, ranging from the children to the adults, are so raw and powerful; a standing ovation for the casting director is in order. But perhaps the thing about this movie that deserves the most acclaim is its open-endedness; it's fight against straightforward categorization and recap. MOONLIGHT so much more than a movie about growing up gay; it's about overcoming your adversities and, despite being a product of your environment, figuring out who you want to become. Identity takes time to discover, and that's something anyone can relate to.

Does not Justify the Hype

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 23 February 2017]

"Moonlight" is a dramatic and very well acted film about three stages in the life of a black character since he was a bullied boy and teenager in Miami until his adulthood in Atlanta. The first part ("Little") is heartbreaking, with the boy Chiron completely lost between the rejection of his crack addicted mother and the love of his new friends, a drug dealer and his girlfriend. The second part ("Chiron") is inferior but also attractive when Chiron is an adolescent and the problems and doubts he has to face in this difficult phase of life practically alone. Unfortunately, the third part ("Black"} is awful; Chiron has become a strong man (the biotypes totally different from his childhood and adolescence), drug dealer and gay.

It is impressive how professional cinema critics love films where the characters are gays (remember "Brokeback Mountain", one of the most notorious) and the power they have to influence worldwide viewers with their opinions. A few people dare to say that the King isn't wearing anything at all, like in the "The Emperor's New Clothes". My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Moonlight: Sob a Luz do Luar" ("Moonlight: Under the Moonlight")

A tapestry of lyrical moments and finely wrought detail on a journey for self-identity

[CineMuseFilms · 9/10 · 18 January 2017]

Some films are best consumed whole while others give more joy through their fragments. For example, a holistic story with a big legacy is Brokeback Mountain (2005), the modern-day Western with two white gay cowboys as its ground-breaking heroes. Twelve years later, the remarkable film Moonlight (2016) walks into the Brokeback narrative space to echo similar themes but from the African-American experience. Rather than a big story, Moonlight is more a tapestry of lyrical moments and finely wrought detail that are best savoured piece by piece.

Unlike plot-driven stories with big dramatic events, Moonlight feels like an introspective meditation on human experience. It is framed into the three parts of a black person's search for identity: Chiron the bullied loner kid, growing into the troubled teenager, to become the self-accepting man. Along the way, his physicality transitions from vulnerability, through confusion, to defiant strength, yet at each stage he is the same kid who doesn't fit in. There are only three human anchors in his life: his unstable drug-addict mother Paul, a drug-dealing proxy father Juan, and his only friend Kevin with whom he shares his sexual awakening. He grows with few words spoken from behind a psychological shield that he carries to ease the pain of disconnectedness. The film's all-black cast takes away the focus on race; what remains is a universal lonely man on a path to gay masculinity.

The best-fit genre label for this narrative is 'coming-of-age', but this story is less about happenings and more about being and becoming. In so many scenes we are hauled in to share how Chiron physically experiences his forward propulsion. The filming style is key to its intimacy, with its close- framed detail conveying a tactile sensuality and personal connection to Chiron. The film is a swirling montage of memorable metaphors: such as Chiron's deer-like eyes reflecting terror of attacker and rescuer; a single falling tear depicting a torrent of pain; being cradled on water as a yearning for trust; his forgiving glare when Kevin betrays him; the open fingers grasping slipping sand one moment and physical pleasure the next; and his tortoise shell of heavy jewellery as a badge of machismo. Exquisite ambiguity and moral ambivalence is the colour palette of Moonlight, captured by hand-held camera-work that conveys frenzied realism and uncertainty about what is around the corner. No other recent film has such an understated narrative with such an overwhelming richness of moment and detail.

Moonlight has more in common with impressionist paintings than modern cinema. It is soft-focused and visceral. It is not about race or sexuality or masculinity, yet it takes us into those spaces to experience the film rather than just watch. It defies holistic labels and compels engagement with its fragments. You do not see this film for entertainment but to share a journey into darkness to find light.

Not Good Enough

[antonio-hess7 · 7/10 · 27 February 2017]

So you wake up and find that Moonlight won the Oscar for Best Picture. Against La La Land. Against Manchester By The Sea. Against Hacksaw Ridge. OK...

"Moonlight" is not a bad movie, by no means. It has great moments, beautiful cinematography, interesting dialogue during the scenes and nice acting (although not amazing) - is nomination for Best Picture is acceptable. The problem is that this isn't an Academy Movie Winner. The main character lacks a more profound development, the "third scene" is close to nothing (it adds basically anything) and, at some point, we've seen this film before - just remember "Boyhood".

So, it's a nice movie, interesting, but pure and simply not good enough to conquer Oscars Night.

Three One Everything

[marcosaguado · 10/10 · 4 January 2017]

When a film comes out and you know next to nothing about it with a director you don't know and a cast of mostly unknowns and it blows you away like it did me. Then I know I'm confronted by something unique. In fact it was director/writer Martin Donovan who wrote about Moonlight, urging all his actors to run and see it. Thank you sir. The faces of those three young men who are just one did something to my brain and to my heart. The best group of actors I've seen in one single film in a long, long time. The big surprise is that we knew it all along. It's all about love and what it means to be a man. Thank you Barry Jenkisns A revolutionary film made of truth and beauty.

So wanted to love this movie, but.............

[david1806 · 6/10 · 9 September 2019]

After reading the reviews, and seeing Stuckmanns review on YouTube (a reviewer I nearly always agree with), I not only wanted to really love this movie - I expected to. But alas, no. Certainly it has some really good things about it - the cinematography is beautiful, incredible performances from just about all of the cast, but the story? I mean sure, it is meaningful and I guess important to a degree, but it was just a bit thin on the ground. Young boy, becomes a teenager, then a grown man - and he is gay and has lived a lonely life because of it. Not exactly mind-blowing. And it had one of those really frustrating endings - you know the type, the ones that just end and you are like "Eh? Is that it....? Really...??!!"

But as I said, it does have many plus points, and it is certainly worth watching - just personally after all I had read I was expecting to be blown away, and I certainly wasn't.

massively overrated

[evelyn-koster · 4/10 · 1 October 2017]

moonlight is a film that deserves recognition on its technical basis - it's a beautifully filmed motion picture. the colour palette is incredible, and the camera work is lovely. there are some strong performances by some of the actors too.

however, this has unfortunately blinded everyone to the fact that the plot is majorly lacking in depth; it touches on some important elements of life (bullying, homophobia, drug abuse etc.), but fails to explore them enough to have an emotional impact on viewers. I commend them for acknowledging the existence of topics that are so very relevant, real and difficult, but the execution of them was poor. there is nothing transcendent about this film, it doesn't leave you thinking about anything.

films don't always have to have a huge meaning, but when advertised as something ground breaking and having emotional impact, I'd have expected more than what moonlight consists of. this film presents themes, but doesn't deal with them. unfortunately, this is not enough to satisfy me or justify winning an Oscar - it just proves that the public are too scared of being honest about the quality of a piece of work when it touches on sensitive subjects.

Moonlight is everything a movie should be and more

[lovelypagesreviews · 10/10 · 4 March 2017]

I've seen a lot of movies lately, mostly because we've had a series of amazing releases but Moonlight affected me deeply on a personal level like very few managed to do in the past few years.

Having seen the trailer only once and knowing the brilliant cast – Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Janelle Monae – I was sure this one would be a hit. And ten minutes into it I had already gotten a handful of tissues out, like the rest of the audience in the theater and was silently wiping my tears while the actors gave a stellar performance.

First of all, I was ecstatic to see that Moonlight featured an all black cast. From behind the camera, to the leads, down to the last extra, kudos and please can we have more already? Second of all, Moonlight showed that a movie can talk about queerness in the black community and turn it into art and present it with dignity and beauty and capture the essence of being a black gay man, the masculinity and actually show the struggles, it went to places a few movies would dare to go and it spoke to me; I know for a fact a lot of people walked out of the cinema more accepting and open-minded. I had a 70-year-old grandpa sitting next to me, weeping and crying like a child, I have never felt more connected with the people I'm randomly watching a movie with.

I can't talk about Moonlight enough, the cinematography was exquisite and the directing was epic, the editing just brilliant. I could almost feel the sunlight through the screen and the humidity in the air. The camera takes you with the people and it captures emotion and feelings like you are there, somehow managing to peak into their lives.

Despite the fact that the movie goes from decade to decade, childhood, young adult and grown man, you never feel any gaps in the story. Sure through the years there are noticeable differences and happenings we don't know about – and never really get answers to – but this is Chiron's story and unlike books, people don't go about their life everyday talking about the past, or recalling life altering events. We get three major turning points in Chiron's life, presented beautifully and with a painful honesty. The ending left me gasping and a mess, I was happy and full of emotions and love and I still remember scenes from the movie and my heart breaks for Little and at the same time I feel happy for Black and I want to protect Chiron.

Moonlight is everything a movie should be and more; an example of how things can and should be portrayed and it all comes with brilliant performances and incredible directing. If there's only one movie you'll watch this year, it's Moonlight. This is why representation matters and why we need more of it. Take everyone with you, recommend it to as many people as you can, never stop talking about it.

Excellent movie, with first rate acting.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 26 March 2023]

Young African American Chiron is essentially a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, dealt a tough hand, a tough family life, he tries to fit in a world with set ideals and so called requirements, this film looks at three eras of his young life.

Personally I thoroughly enjoyed each of the three segments, however it was the second that hit hardest, an incredibly powerful, sad and moving sequence, but every single segment is poignant, moving and hard hitting.

It's pretty bleak, it does dwell on some of the darker aspects of human nature, those that prey on the vulnerable, those that by an outdated mindset don't fit.

The acting is A1, and I mean incredible, it doesn't get much better than this, the three incarnations if Chiron, Alex R Hibbert, Trevante Rhodes and Ashton Sanders are each marvellous. As always, Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris are outstanding, I'd watch either in anything.

For me to stay up past ten o'clock these days is something, to stay up past midnight watching a movie, is pretty much a rarity now, I wanted to see what it was like, and got absorbed.

Excellent, 9/10.

Excellent Character Study with Fantastic Performances

[Michael_Elliott · 2 February 2017]

Moonlight (2016)

**** (out of 4)

Extremely well-made and lyrical movie that deals with a young black man trying to survive in Miami while discovering who he is through a series of hard times. We first meet "Little" (Alex R. Hibbert) as a young kid who is discovered by a local drug dealer (Mahershala Ali) who tries to teach him some life lesson. We then meet him as a teenager (Ashton Sanders) where he is constantly being bullied while at the same time trying to learn his sexuality. Finally, in the third act, we meet him as an adult (Trevante Rhodes) and see how these earlier events have shaped his life.

MOONLIGHT is a fantastic character study and I'd argue that it's one of the most interesting ever made. I'm not saying it's one of the greatest films ever made but at the same time I would argue that it's one of the best directed and acted movies that I've seen in a very long time and the end result is something rather special. Yes, we've seen these coming of age dramas for countless decades now but this one here still manages to come across rather fresh and original.

What I loved most about the film were the performances by the three actors playing the same character at various stages of his life. A lot of movies try this and it's rare that all three are so believable in their roles that you really do feel as if you're watching one character throughout a period. All three actors really did seem to have studied each other or at least had such great direction where they were all acting the same way, with the same emotions and as the film went along you could see how the teenager was in the younger version and how these two versions played a major role on the adult.

The performances here are simply wonderful with Hibbert, Sanders and Rhodes delivering some of the finest performances of the year. The amount of emotional and realism they bring this character is something really breathtaking to watch. Ali is the real standout though as he plays a man we meet and who at first we don't know anything about him. We slowly learn about his character but the presence Ali brings to the role is something truly excellent to watch and he delivers a knock out performance. Janelle Monáe is also wonderful as his girlfriend as is Naomie Harris as the boy's mother.

Director Barry Jenkins does an extremely wonderful job at keeping the film moving along. There's a terrific visual style including the opening sequence, which just grabs you and pulls you into this world. MOONLIGHT is one of the better character studies out there and it certainly takes you on a fantastic voyage of a boy trying to learn to be himself and become a man.

One of the Very Best of the Year

[trublu215 · 6/10 · 20 November 2016]

Moonlight is another Barry Jenkins film that is soaked in the exact craftsmenship you'd come to expect from him: powerful screenplay, excellent performances and an all around perfect film. To put this in perspective, Moonlight is so damn good and refreshing that it is hard not to recommend it to everyone. The film puts us on the back of a young African American boy who is living with his drug addicted mother in the slums of Miami. He is exposed to drugs, alcohol and violent tendencies at a very young age. The boy is haunted for his entire life over something his mother says to him in the fit of a blind, drug fueled rage. As the film progresses he thinks about what his mother called him and that singular moment reverberates throughout his whole life.

What this film does so brilliantly is it combats the idea of masculinity and homosexuality in the most blunt of fashions. No film has done this and I doubt a film will do this ever again. It is truly a great film that touches on so many topics outside of homosexuality. It touches on race relations, black culture and what it takes to be a traditional man. The performances are all around terrific, with an especially standout performance from Naomie Harris. The filmmaking is top notch and the script is perfect.

Overall, Moonlight is a harrowing must see film for anyone who is a fan of cinema. It will make you laugh, it will break your heart, make you cry and everything in between. But what this film will do the most is make you really think about what, if anything, has defined you as a person. No matter the gender, no matter the sexual orientation, no matter the culture, no matter the race...this film will speak to you louder than words ever could. Bravo, Barry Jenkins.

keep your eye on Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris

[A_Different_Drummer · 9/10 · 16 January 2017]

The reviewer's dilemma (and it is a dilemma reviewers LOVE to encounter) is, in a superb film with superb acting all around, a superb script, and superb directing, you still need to pay special attention to those actors that, in such a competitive environment, stand out as something "extra" special.

In this mesmerizing film, special attention has to go to two actors who steal every scene they are in and silently promise the viewer that the long and bountiful careers ahead of them will deliver even better performances down the road.

I am referring first to Mahershala Ali, whose magnetic presence made him the centerpiece of Luke Cage (where he competes with, and surpasses, actors with much greater experience). If you watch this actor closely, not only is he in the moment, but his body seems to be in constant motion even when he is sitting still. Like a hummingbird. Awesome to behold and although he has been lately playing characters of "dubious morality" one gets the feeling he could play a hero just as easily.

And then there is the performance of Naomie Harris, a performance so strong and memorable that I began to recall that, in the Golden Age of films, they used to refer to performances like hers as "searing" -- but lately I have not seen the term used very often in a review.

So in honor of Ms. Harris I will say for the record that her performance in this film -- with minimal screen time -- is searing and unforgettable.

Highly recommended.

((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Overrated

[SaritaLW · 6/10 · 26 January 2017]

Okay, so the only reason I gave this movie a 6 was because of the hype the media gave it before the release. I was expecting this extravagantly made film that would touch my heart but it did the opposite. The storyline was of course relatable to a lot of people; a gay boy with a messed up mother, dealing with bullying and coping with being a man all at the same time, but the way it was set up, personally I just didn't like. The co editor Joi Mcmillon is nominated an Oscar for best film editing, and I give kudos to her for being the first black female nominated, but something about this movie just didn't sit well with me. I can say when Chiron finally reached adulthood, the plot got somewhat better, and when his friend(who he had one experience with) reached out, I just knew would start getting juicy. It just didn't. I did love the acting, though, there were a few of my favorite actors in the movie, I just really wish the plot was done a bit better. More action, more drama, more suspense. Something. Overall, big ups to your Oscar nomination Moonlight!

In reality, "Little" happens (pun intended) but 'Moonlight' shines as a wonderful exposition of the complexity of emotions.

[joshteggert · 10/10 · 28 February 2017]

It is difficult to effectively display certain inner conflicts one may experience during the coming of age, but 'Moonlight' stunningly portrays three chapters in the life of a young, black boy and his struggle whilst growing up gay. Starting off with Little (Alex Hibbert); a boy who is taken under the wing of local drug dealer Juan (Mahershala Ali), followed by him as a teen, referred to as Chiron (Ashton Sanders), slowly uncovering and accepting his sexuality, then finally as a man (Trevante Rhodes), living his life begrudgingly with the burden of his troubled past. All this is then juxtaposed by a very difficult relationship with his mother, Paula, (Naomie Harris), falling in love with his best friend, and getting bullied consistently throughout school. The consequences of each prospect are dealt with astonishingly, somehow illustrating issues that have deep and dark implications with serenity and consideration. It simply is wonderful to watch.

Some have referred to this feature as "mundane". However, director Barry Jenkins displays the toughness of this boy's life with appropriate genuineness. Amongst it all, Jenkins' unquestionable artistic talent demonstrates a troubled soul who cannot grasp exactly what it is that makes him different with seamless realism. He does this through the subtle ocean imagery every time Chiron encounters something challenging, which ties the narrative together ingeniously. This, combined with an excellent screenplay by Jenkins, inspired by Tarell Alvin McCraney's play, 'In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue', results in a naturally flowing story that makes 'Moonlight' immensely powerful.

All three actors portray the main character with equal conviction, immersion and entrancing absorption; it certainly feels like an overarching story following one character, a hard task to truly pull off unless, like Richard Linklater's 'Boyhood', you use the same actor over an extended period. Ali's supporting role as the complicated, good-willed drug dealer, Juan, is indeed praiseworthy but it is Harris' performance that is most awe-inspiring. Certainly Oscar worthy, her marvellous display as Chiron's damaged, drug addicted mother is one that particularly stands out, despite the movie in itself being an incredible cinematic experience altogether. The extra layer of Juan being Paula's supplier adds further gravity to the situation, which is, to put it frankly, just one of many factors in the movie that pull delicately at your heartstrings. Jenkins successfully sustains the emotional attachment throughout, and has created an absolute serene picture; it is difficult to resist a rewatch.

Intricately and carefully crafted, 'Moonlight' truly does shine as a masterwork, conveying emotions in their utmost complexity as part of a story where, in reality, 'little' happens (pun intended). Barry Jenkins comes to the forefront as an emerging talent in directing, with the standard set so high, it is now intriguing to anticipate just what his next project, 'A Contract with God' (a three-part directed feature), will be like.

"My name is Chiron, people call me little"

[ryanedwards-87805 · 6/10 · 13 April 2017]

Moonlight is the 2017 Best Picture Winner, directed by Barry Jenkins on an incredibly small budget of just 1.5 million dollars.

It tells the story of a young, African-American, gay man called Chiron growing up in a rough neighbourhood in Miami, touching upon subjects of homosexuality, being bullied and being raised by a drug-addicted mother. The story itself is split into 3 main parts which revolve around the different age brackets of Chiron's life; childhood, adolescence and adulthood.

While the film promotes an all-black cast starring House of Cards & Luke Cage's, Mahershala Ali and Spectre's, Naomie Harris, the stand out performance is most definitely Aston Saunders who portrays Chiron during the second part of the film, through his teenage years. He perfectly captures the mannerisms and vulnerability of the character set out by young Alex R. Hibbert who plays Chiron in the first part of the film. I have to applaud the casting director who paired these two together as it works really well, so much so that you can completely believe the time jump between ages; it feels very real, almost like you're watching a 'Boyhood' styled documentary.

For the most part, I enjoyed Moonlight, it instantly caught my attention with interesting and unusual camera work. Every shot appears to be well thought-out, allowing the story to be shown beautifully through the lens. The look and tone of film is spot on, the director has used a high contrast between light & dark to really capture the vivid 'Miami' colours while setting a mood of depression, loneliness and violence. Moonlight knows exactly what it is and never deviates from this with any unnecessary subplots or an unbelievable third act that we come to expect from 'Hollywood' of late.

Ultimately though, I feel the film is too slow and mainly let down by its story. It crawls along without a great deal happening which is surprising given its 1 hour and 51 minute run time. It never quite reaches the level of excitement I had hoped for given the amount of hype the film had received during the awards season.

The issues that are raised are current and interesting living in today's society but I feel they could have been explored in greater depth. It has a lot to say without ever really saying it, which is a great shame.

We never truly experience the full pain and heart-ache of being raised by a drug-addicted mother or difficulty in discovering your sexuality and consequently being bullied at school. Perhaps it should have focused on one time period of Chiron's life and/ or covered only one of the many issues that the story raises instead of trying to cover them all? As a result the film leaves you feeling quite empty and thinking the story of Chiron could have been told better.

Overall though, it is a good film, just a little disappointing. For all the faults or issues I had with it, I found myself engaged and unable to look away which is certainly down to the superb performances and direction displayed throughout. It's definitely worth watching for these elements alone but I wouldn't particularly recommend it as a 'must see' as I believe a lot of people could find it slow and lose interest quickly.

Pulls You In From The Beginning

[champjohnson29 · 8/10 · 21 October 2016]

This movie is a beautiful piece of art from beginning to end. I was anxious to see this film but still nervous in hopes that the result would match the hype. Some of my expectations were not met (Janelle Monae's role) but those minor kinks do not take away from what the film was made to be.

I was curious as to how they'd tell a full story in three parts but it flowed well and each actor who portrayed the main character, Chiron, added so many nuances.. it just pulled you in. But the actors who stole the show are definitely Naomie Harris as the main character's Mother and Ashton Sanders who played the teenager version of the main character. Both commanded the screen in every scene they were in. On the surface, Naomie's character is despicable but she brought such heart that it made you feel for her. Ashton's version of Chiron was a great journey to watch. I was rooting for him the entire time. But I must point out that the entire cast was awesome.

Well written, well paced. The visuals. The music. I was blown away and definitely recommend it.

There were some places I wanted the story to go, as far as character interaction in certain areas. I was looking for some memorable monologues or some gritty drama between certain characters but I had to realize that this movie was more about the internal struggle. The subtlety is what made it unique.

Pathfinder

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 18 February 2017]

This is a rare beast. A film exploring the life of a young black gay man in America.

We first see Chiron as a young boy being chased by some bullies in a rough part of Miami. Even by this time some of the school kids have an inkling Chiron might be queer. He is certainly introverted and even lonely, his mother is a crack addict.

The only solace young Chiron finds is from a neighbourhood drug dealer called Juan who takes an interest in him with his girlfriend Teresa and his only comfort is spending time in their home.

We next see a teenage Chiron, still bullied due to his small stature, his mother has gone deeper into addiction but he finds comfort with lifelong friend Kevin and an awakening of his sexuality but this comes crashing down as Kevin has to beat him up as part of a gang initiation. Chiron leaves this stage of his life under arrest as he tackles the bully who has tormented him for years.

We next see Chiron as a young man in another city, he has bulked up and like his mentor Juan, now a drug dealer. However when he receives a call from Kevin he returns to Miami to see his mother and then confront Kevin as well as his true feelings and the encounter they had one moonlit night as teenagers.

Director Barry Jenkins has made a small scale, slow paced, low budget drama. Some of the finance was provided via Brad Pitt's production company. It is in many ways a simple, but human tale of a young bay growing up. The first two actors playing Chiron are excellent, although it is difficult to see the resemblance with the more muscular actor who plays the older Chiron.

Although a lot of thought has gone in by the director as to the way it has been filmed and the use of colours, some parts of it were far from original. The influence of Truffaut's The 400 Blows is there to be seen.

It was obvious that Kevin will have to beat up Chiron as soon as he wanted to join the school gang because I saw a similar scene in the British film Ill Manors.

Atmospheric inner city coming of age story has major third act problems

[Turfseer · 5/10 · 11 November 2016]

Moonlight represents the end product of a collaboration between Barry Jenkins who wrote the screenplay based on a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney. It has an amazing score of "99" on Metacritic, with the lowest score being "63." When I saw this score my immediate reaction was that this film is no "99." It's a lot closer to that "63," a score attributed to a review put out by Slant Magazine.

Moonlight is divided into three segments, first focusing on a young African-American boy named Chiron (whose nickname is "Little" in the first segment). When we first meet Little, he's run away from home, alienated from his crack-addicted, abusive mother, Paula. A crack dealer named Juan discovers Little inside an abandoned motel and after learning he's been the victim of bullies, he brings him to the home of his girlfriend, Theresa. Little is mute until he opens up the next morning and tells the couple where he lives.

Juan eventually forms a relationship with Little, acting as a mentor, despite hostility from the boy's mother. Unfortunately, Juan plays no part in the rest of the film and we eventually learn in the last segment that he's no longer alive. Despite the lugubrious pacing, Moonlight chronicles the tragedy of how drugs can play such a ruinous part in the lives of African-American men and women, residing in the inner city.

Just at the right moment, Jenkins introduces Chiron as a teenager in the second segment. Here he is referred to by his true name. The withdrawn child is now a withdrawn teenager who is still coping with his crackhead of a mother and is taunted by other teens who regard him as not only passive but possibly homosexual. Jenkins isn't afraid to chronicle additional problems in the African-American community, especially the scourge of bullying.

The story becomes more interesting when Chiron hooks up with his old childhood friend, Kevin, who leads him to a homosexual encounter on the beach. There's more drama when Kevin participates in a hazing ritual, betraying Chiron by slugging him a number of times in the face, at the behest of the usual suspects of high school bullies. When Chiron smashes a chair over the bully in front of his high school class, he's taken away by the police and placed in a juvenile detention center.

The third segment focuses on Chiron ten years later—he goes by the name of "Black," an appellation given to him by Kevin when he was in high school. Jenkins makes the mistake of casting the older Chiron with an actor who doesn't resemble the younger high school student Chiron, at all. We find out next to nothing about the older Chiron, except that he's now a hardened drug dealer living in Atlanta.

After getting a phone call from Kevin, who now works as a cook in Miami, Black goes to visit him there. He first visits his mother who is now a resident at a nursing home and begs his forgiveness for her earlier deleterious behavior. Naomie Harris does a fine job as the repentant mother and the son hugs her, still acknowledging their bond.

Once Black walks into the small restaurant where Kevin now works, the story is virtually over. You can guess what happens next: Black acknowledges that he's been alone since their encounter in high school—and he agrees to send the night with Kevin, who still has feelings for him, despite having a child with a woman from whom he is now separated.

Moonlight really runs out of gas in the third act, as Black (Chiron) remains a completely underdeveloped character. The reconciliation, highlighted by tender feelings between two men, is simply not enough to bring the story to a fitful conclusion. Jenkins' final 30 minutes is dragged out where there are no surprises. Moonlight has quite a bit of atmosphere (particularly in the first two acts) and some raw performances (particularly by the child actors), but ultimately the denouement was not thought out clearly enough to pass muster as a film rated almost 100 by an overwhelming majority of major film critics.