MOONLIGHT REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

We're only two months into 2017 but I can definitely say that Moonlight is, without question, one of the most powerful dramas we've had this year and I doubt any other film will come close to matching the emotions that it leaves you with. It's a breathtaking coming-of-age story with a unique vision that transcends the clichés normally seen in dramas. 

What makes Moonlight unique is that its main character is a black man who is also a homosexual. It's strange to think that it's rare, in most Hollywood films seen today, for a main character to be both a person of colour and gay. Moonlight is quietly devastating in its depiction of masculinity, race, poverty and identity. The main character is Chiron who is portrayed by three different actors, Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes, at the most important stages of his life. Moonlight begins with Chiron as a child (Hibbert) where he meets and bonds with Juan (Mahershala Ali), a drug-dealer who teaches him how to swim whilst also giving him life lessons. The second part focuses on Chiron as a teenager (Sanders) who struggles with bullying and becomes closer to his friend, Kevin (Jharrel Jerome) and has his first sexual experience. The film then ends with Chiron as an adult (Rhodes) where he learns to forgive and reunites with a loved one.

The entire cast, even the extras, are people of colour and it's really refreshing to see. Each of the three leading actors give their own unique portrayal of Chiron. Director Barry Jenkins made sure that the actors never met during filming as he wanted them to build their own persona of the character during their respective segments without any influence from the other portrayals. It's a method that works and each actor gives their best performance. For me, the stand out is Hibbert who portrays Chiron as a young child. His closed body language and lack of eye contact with others shows us that he feels deeply uncomfortable and we feel for him. He doesn't have much dialogue but when he does speak, it's heartbreaking, especially when he asks Juan what a faggot is. Speaking of Juan, Ali gives a strong performance as Chiron's mentor. Despite only having a limited screentime, Ali makes the most of it and makes us admire his character by caring for Chiron. Because of his strong supporting performance, he is currently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Chiron's mother is brilliantly portrayed by Naomi Harris. We see how much the drugs are affecting, not only her life, but her son's as well. She's the only character to appear in all three parts of the film. We see her relationship with her son fall apart and, in the final story, we see her wanting her son's forgiveness. In this role, Harris further proves her capability as an actress and successfully earned herself an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Another important character is Kevin who, like Chiron, is portrayed by three different actors, Jaden Piner, Jharrel Jerome and André Holland, to showcase his life development. His relationship with Chiron is Moonlight's main focus and we see the two become closer. Overall, the entire cast shine and each give their most impressive performances yet.

Moonlight is a deeply, personal motion picture that succeeds mainly because of Jenkins. He knows exactly how to make us connect with the central character and uses close-ups so we can see Chiron's true emotions. In some of the films' darkest moments, he uses Nicholas Britell's poweful score to make the scene even more intense. His work hasn't gone unnoticed and is currently nominated for Best Achievement in Directing at this year's Academy Awards. It's a film that Jenkins can be proud of.

Moonlight has received vast amounts of praise since its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in September 2016, including critical acclaim and numerous awards and nominations. At this year's Golden Globes, it won the award for Best Motion Picture - Drama. I'm not surprised that Moonlight has an overwhelmingly positive reception. It's one of those rare films that'll change your outlook on life after watching. It showcases one man's life in a non-judgemental way and tells a mature story that is rich in character development. It's hard to imagine Moonlight walking away empty handed at this year's Oscars. 

A lot of people, who are homosexual, struggle to accept their feelings, however, Moonlight proves that there's no reason to go against your honest emotions and shows that accepting your true self leads to contentment. It's revolutionary and Moonlight will surely go down as one of the best films made about being a homosexual.

Members of the audience don't have to be a person of colour, male or a homosexual to feel empathetic towards the main character's situation. I'm sure that Chrion's experiences in life will resonate with anyone watching and will, most likely, have an emotional impact, especially in Moonlight's climax. 

Overall, Barry Jenkins has crafted a moving motion picture that features a timeless story of human connection and self-discovery, Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami. 

9/10