Moonlight is easily the most impressive film I have ever seen. First of all, I’ll give you some stats. While Avatar took 10 years to make, Moonlight was filmed with only one camera in only 3 weeks. The budget was $1.5 million (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides‘s record-breaking $411 million is 274 times greater). And most people in the film, including main characters, are young non-actors from Liberty City, Miami itself. It was the first full-length film Barry Jenkins ever wrote or directed, cinematographer James Laxton’s first major film, editor Joi McMillon’s first film, and composer Nicholas Britell’s first major score—yet each of these people did some of the best work ever done on an indie film, all tallying Oscar nominations. Ultimately it was nominated for a whopping 8 Oscars and picked up 3 wins (including Mahershala Ali for his first major acting role and Jenkins for his first screenplay), as well as the highest honor of them all: Best Picture.
But awards don’t do it justice. I remember seeing it at Dallas’s Magnolia Theater the day it came out. All I knew was that it’s a coming-of-age drama, and that critics were calling it one of the best films ever. They weren’t wrong. The technical features are so intricately done, and the depth of both the characters and the story is audacious. I found myself questioning reality, society, pain, neglect, the way people are treated by their perceived labels alone, the reductive stereotypes constructed by apathy, and many other things while equally marveling at the sheer artistic beauty. It tells a story nobody has seen on this level, certainly not those of us with money and status. And it is a serious film—the script makes sure with every line how immersed you are in Chiron’s ghetto—as the screenplay flashes you through the vignettes of the psyche of a young, impoverished, gay African-American growing up in a ghetto without a father, friends, or influences, whose mom is a crack addict (played brilliantly by Noamie Harris) and whose only role model is his mom’s compassionate drug dealer (played equally brilliantly by Ali). It defies and transcends conventional knowledge about many things, exploring the human condition through its darkest struggles. Moreover, the script, the screenplay, the cinematography, the score, and the overall acting are all revolutionary. This film will challenge you. It will break you. It will blow you away. It is a must-see if you value film as an art form.
Rating: 10/10
King
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👑
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elite
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Indeed.
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gay
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What’s your point?
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My point is hes gay. Gross
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No it’s not. A woman loving a man isn’t gross. A man loving a woman isn’t gross. So why is it suddenly gross if a couple happens to be a same-sex one?
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I appreciate the likes you gave me and all. But, with all due respect, I don’t want homophobia on my blog. Take it somewhere else.
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I have parents and young children that read this.
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Not to mention lots of LGBTQ people as well (whether gay or bi or trans or anything else). Not a fan of being hateful to others.
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omg fuck this guy luke, ugh as a gay girl i rly appreciate ur responses to his h8
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Thanks for letting me know! Big ally and advocate for the LGBTQ community (just like I am for the Black Livers Matter movement, equal rights for women, and so forth!). 🙂
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I don’t blame him for his views, though. I blame the system.
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https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/roots/freud.html
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stop giving me notifications for this post please.
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👍
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Sorry about that.
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Thx.
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omg screw that ignorant dude
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So happy I saw this. Watched it last night – – – blown away. Possibly the best film I’ve ever seen.
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I think so, too. Def the best indie film.
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Two of the most iconic indie scenes ever.
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Going to watch them later. Yassss
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these scenes are incredible omg
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love the scene where they show kevin smoking the cig in slow mo
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also that one ok sry for the long thread
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No prob! I love the content.
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Love the cooking scene too, of course. Thanks for sharing!
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Yeah that whole dream sequence with the smoke break is amazing.
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flex
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Yesss.
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one of my alltime favs
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