Moonlight

Starring: Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monae, Naomie Harris, Jaden Piner, Ashton Saunders, Trevante Rhodes, Stephen Bron, Andre Holland
Directed by: Barry Jenkins
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Follows the life of a gay African-American man through three critical moments of his life.

Review:

Tim: I feel bad that Moonlight's win for Academy Award Best Picture will always be marred by the horrific bungle of the revelation of the winner. That insane, unforgettable Oscar moment obscures the surprising fact that this film took down some other big films to win the top prize of 2016. It's weird, because while I thoroughly enjoyed Moonlight, I wouldn't have awarded it Best Picture. I think it's a great movie, but not the best movie of 2016.

The movie truly is great, however. It tells a powerful, emotional story that we don't often get to see depicted on the big screen. This movie follows a young, gay black man by looking at three very different periods of his life. This allows us to peer into his life and see how it evolves. Each jump in time is somewhat surprising- he never ends up where we expect him to. It's a gritty, unflinching look at a hard reality many people live every day in this country. I loved the authenticity of following this character throughout his life. You truly grow to understand this interesting human being, and you learn to care for him. By the end of the film, you feel the journey he has been on and just want him to be happy. This is sometimes a hard movie to watch because it takes such a deep look at a flawed, beautiful life. It makes you think about how living in America is very different when you're a white male. If you're African-American, not wealthy, plus you're gay, your existence is very, very different. It made me sad to think about the state our country is still in- the intolerance and the bigotry that far too many people still experience. In that vein, this is an important movie, as it brings their story into the light. It reminds us that there can still be beauty amidst great pain.

Interestingly enough, perhaps the film's greatest strength also turns into one of it's biggest flaws. I do believe that the highlight of this film is the jaw-dropping performance of Mahershala Ali. This guy has been exploding in the last year and he gives one of the most effortlessly authentic, mesmerizing supporting performances I've ever seen. You cannot take your eyes off him in this film. His performance is nothing short of incredible and so much of the film's success is due to him. I was so glad he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor- he impacted this film in ways few supporting actors ever have. So, Ali is one of the absolute shining lights in this film. Unfortunately, his screen time is minimal. He's in the film early on, and then not again. Like I'm sure the character in the film felt, we feel his loss immensely. We feel like he was ripped away from us. That's a plus, because we can identify with the protagonist. The downside is that this movie becomes significantly less interesting when Ali disappears. The rest of the film is really, really good, but it's missing out on greatness. It needed a performance like Ali's. I felt like the beginning of this movie was stunning, a masterpiece. Once Ali departs, the movie never again reaches those early heights. I understand that was part of the story, but the latter half of the film can't hold a candle to the beginning. That doesn't prevent this from being a great movie, but it prevented me from loving this as much as I wish I did.

In addition to Ali's remarkable performance, the film gets strong supporting work from Janelle Monae and Naomie Harris. Harris received an Academy Award nomination for her role, as she deserved the recognition. The rest of the supporting cast is good, by man, no one can compare to how magnificent Ali was in this film.

While I wouldn't have crowned Moonlight (I think La La Land and Manchester by the Sea were better), I would still absolutely put this film on my top 10 of 2016. This is a beautiful, memorable movie about a slice of society to which far too many people turn a blind eye. I really did love this movie and felt the emotional impact of this film. This is a movie that will endure- it's a truly great film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: La La Land, Fences, Manchester by the Sea