SkyDeshpande

There is no satisfying start to describe a film which I have completely adored from its first watch. A film which, even after not being around any of those characters or not having walked on those streets; I have seen already three times and looking forward to watch it again. Just to have interactions with the characters, colors, music and everything, from this completely immersive experience! Moonlight, directed by Barry Jenkins is, as many have already said; a flawless film. But, that is because he took every decision on his impulses while shooting the film. Not everything can be explained what can be felt. So, he went with whatever input he was receiving and choosing the best that he felt at the time. Whether it was interaction between the central character Chiron and his mother with extreme close-ups or the scene from the ocean of the interaction between Chiron and Juan; everything was heartfelt and seemingly flawless. Even the simplest scene on paper made much greater impact on the screen. This was an exploration of Chiron's personality based on the interactions, which made it actually an experience we can have- walking by his shoes. Most of the frames focused on the alienation he was going through and the struggles surrounding it. Even the harrowing score by Nicholas Britell made him seem almost like a ghost roaming through these paths, that he was supposed to go by. He was lost- not because he couldn't find the directions, but because he couldn't understand where to be. Other than every actor playing Chiron and Kevin, Naomie Harris (Mother) and Mahershala Ali (Juan) portrayed their characters with such as ease; that the brilliance could be felt from every emotion they were depicting. Paula, Chiron's mother was a drug-addict who was as lonely as his son was. Maybe that's why she was reassuring herself in a way, by reminding him- she was the only person he had. Juan was a drug-dealer who accidentally meets Chiron and feels a kind of connection that he wants nothing to happen to this kid. Maybe he was seeing himself in Chiron as a mirror, without any emotional support; from the back of his life. But, he feels an urge to give Chiron the confidence to make his own choices and still to be brave to live with those. Even the irony of him (Juan) , being the reason for Chiron's alienation tears him apart. The colors of the theme- Black and Blue were used in many frames. Blue which was like a hope for him- escaping- takes prominence in the third chapter where we see it somewhat neutralizing the hot sepia tones. It was also seen in the previous chapters, in the scenes where he was trying to escape from the harsh reality. It was his journey from Black to Blue, from 'Soft' to 'Strong'; and the constant struggles in finding his own identity from them. So, this soul-searching journey would either make you love it unconditionally or would make you feel distant from the characters every single moment; because of completely personal approach while making. Choose for yourself who you wanna be..

'There's nothing for an introvert to find someone like them to share the loneliness with.' I don't remember if I have read it somewhere or my mind just made it up after watching this film; but that's what I felt after watching it. The plot is nothing much complex. The film is about a girl, Nadine, who had difficulty to connect with anyone and was jealous of her brother who was always confident and better at communicating with most of the people. So, she used to be alone. When she finds a friend- Kyra- a loner like her, with whom she easily connected; they shared the most awkward things with one another. But things change when they grow up. That friend starts dating her elder brother and it becomes even more unbearable for her. What I loved the most about this film is, it didn't try to justify how some character was morally right or wrong; when there were so many chances to do so. Just for creating sympathy, Nadine was not shown as the sanest person or other characters like her friend or brother unjust. She was still the stubborn, vulnerable teenager. She was not insane. She was just what she was. Woody Harrelson was flawless for sure. Even after seeing only little of his work before, I was quite impressed. But, Hailee was something else! She was totally in the character's skin. This film made me instant fan of her. She said every dialogue as it was meant for her. But it was the moments in between where she really shows her shine. Whether it was the scene where she was left alone when Kyra went to talk with others or while she was at her teacher's house, looking at other side of his personality; she nailed it! As I said, this was so relatable to introverts. Maybe that's why I liked it more than I needed to!