'The Florida Project' is probably one of the more interesting animals of 2017 for me.
I was extremely excited to finally see this film, as I had heard praise showered upon it for multiple aspects of it. I was told it was a great Indie film, was trashy and unapologetic, and was told the performances were all spectacular. Heck, I even stayed in the same 1-mile stretch of Kissimmee, Florida that this was filmed in only a week or so ago!
In the end, though...this film is TRASH.
When I say 'trash', I don't mean it in the deriding, demeaning manner. I mean it in the FEEL of the film. This film spends its time covering a surprisingly ignored but very much present reality of the bottom class of modern American society.
Taking place in the shadow of Disney World in Florida, this film strives to depict the harshness of the lives that these people face. I am almost reminded of the film 'Gummo', which depicted the life of slums in Ohio in an extremely similar manner. In fact, I would almost consider this a companion piece to that film. Considering this comes 20 years after the release of Gummo, I can believe they are tightly interwoven in their 'film DNA', so to speak.
But enough about me comparing this to cult indie films. You probably want to hear me tell you whether it's GOOD or BAD, right? Whether it lives up to the hype or if it's 'overrated'?
In the end, I feel it is an odd mix of both.
The performances in this film are SPECTACULAR. Willem Dafoe turns in a subtle performance that has the most humanity I've seen from a character he's played in a long time. I'm almost upset that Sam Rockwell turned-in as good of a performance as he did in 'Three Billboards', because this is easily one of Dafoe's best performances and easily could have won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor if it wasn't such a tight year for it.
The real highlight of the performances featured here, however, is 7-year old Brooklynn Prince. Having worked with children for 6-7 years now, I cannot tell you how PERFECT they captured the way children speak in this film. They behave exactly as I'd imagine them to, and Brooklynn manages to capture a rough, childlike innocence that is really at the center of a story about children and the places they grow up in that influence them, positively or negatively. If there's anything I can point to that works at an incredibly high level, it is certainly the child acting. I cannot imagine a world where Prince does not have a career in the next 5-10 years.
Other than the performances, another attribute the film has going for it is its gorgeous, sun-baked cinematography. Filmed on 35 mm film (Except for one sequence which we'll discuss later...), shots in this film evoke postcard-like imagery that makes the environment shine. Whether its something grungy and disgusting or natural and beautiful, this film looks incredible even on the smallest possible screens. Massive praise to Alexis Zabe, who'd likely get an Oscar nomination if Blade Runner 2049 didn't exist.
The points of contention begin to arrive and the film becomes subjective when it comes to the story itself. Coming from my point of view, a man who really LIKES three-act structure and a coherent story, this film...really does not have a story at all. It is about a poor community that struggles to live with each other, perhaps? Or perhaps it is about children and what society does to corrupt them? Or perhaps it is a critique of society in general? I could not tell you, as the film flows freely and lets its imagery speak for itself.
At times, the film feels bloated. There was a certain point around the hour and a half mark where I truly began to feel the film drag its knuckles and lose me. Again, a sacrifice that comes from such a free-form concept for a film, but it's not as if the film is "too long", as some have complained. It is simply just a very loose film, which requires a patient audience. Thankfully, I am patient. But not everyone is.
Finally, we come to the thing that has gained infamy about this film; the ending. While I will not dare spoil the ending, it...is indeed as bad as everyone has made it out to be. It's jarring, it doesn't really work with any of the plot threads or character attributes established, and due to the nature of it, it is not even filmed in 35 mm and can retain the beauty of the rest of the film. It feels unneeded, and almost as if director Sean Baker struggled to find a cohesive way to end the film. If you ask me, endings to independent films are ALLOWED to be abrupt, which is why this attempt at a 'tying it with a bow' ending feels cliche, jarring, and just...bad.
All of that aside, and with flaws taken into account...I think this film is still absolutely lovely. The performances are all excellent and sell me that the characters I see are fleshed-out, real people. The cinematography looks postcard-esque and captures a city I have been to and can validate is spot-on in its depiction.
'The Florida Project' is uneven, but perhaps it has all the right to be. It is about characters who are rough around the edges and have their own issues, which we simply watch as their lives move along and they simply try to live by their means. It is a fascinating look at a part of the country that we sometimes forget exists, and I certainly can say I was not upset that I gave it my time of day.
Despite it being rough and uneven, even by an indie film's standards, I recommend you give it a look! I think there's something to love for everyone in this film.
