Moonlight 2016

     This film is based on the unproduced play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by MacArthur Fellow Tarell Alvin McCraney.  The film is divided into three time periods in the life of Chiron, young adolescence, mid-teen and young adult.  As a child Chiron’s dad is gone, he lives with his single and crack addicted mother Paula.  They live in a crime-ridden neighborhood in Miami.  Chiron is small, shy and withdrawn.  Paula neglects him because she is busy getting her fixes.  He’s usually bullied, criticized and he doesn’t understand why this happens.  His only friend is Kevin who is the same age.  Chiron hangs out with drug dealer Juan and his girlfriend Teresa.  Their home is a sanctuary for him to escape his problems.

     During the mix-up with the Academy Awards of 2017, La La Land was announced as the winner for Best Picture but it was actually Moonlight.  The team for La La Land was on the stage but they had to walk off and let the Moonlight team take the stage.  This film is about characters and their identities.  Juan wants to help Chiron because he sees something in him but he’s also keeping his mother from him by selling her the drugs.  You see the growth and changes in Chiron as he ages but there is not as much focus on his friend Kevin.  3* (This movie was OK)

111 min, Drama directed by Barry Jenkins, Mahershala Ali, Shariff Earp, Duan Sanderson, Alex R. Hibbert, Janelle Monae, Naomie Harris, Jaden Piner.

Note:  Imdb 7.5 out of 10, 98% critic 80% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4*, Amazon 3.8* out of 5* with 1028 reviews,

Special Note:  Filmed in Miramar, Miami, Liberty City and Virginia Key, Florida.  The three different actors who play Chiron and Kevin never met because the director wanted them to build their own characters.  Director Barry Jenkins and writer Tarell Alvin McCraney both grew up in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami.  Brad Pitt helped the director get funds and the distribution deal he needed.  Filming was completed in 25 days between October and November 2015.  Naomie Harris spent a month researching the lives of drug addicts by watching videos of crack addicts on YouTube.