Moonlight (2016)

"Who is you, Chiron?"" At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you're going to be": both quotes that echo from start to end of this coming-of-age drama. Moonlight to me is a film about the black male identity and its interaction with sexual identity. The three stage structure acts as a platform to explore the path of a man; through a neglected childhood, to an angry adolescence to self realisation and fulfilment in adulthood, and in doing so shines a completely different light on masculinity, sexuality and identity that was seriously needed in modern cinema.

For me, almost every element of the film was extremely well-crafted and though out, and engages you in a way I think a Hollywood Film could not; It It relies on character development and small glimpses into Chiron's life, instead of these big manufactured scenes , making it so naturalistic you cant help but feel captured by Chiron's story. Because of this, I think the film is quite refreshing, and fulfills a role in modern cinema that seems very neglected right now, in an age of formulaic Hollywood blockbusters: no major stars, no stilted scenes, no artificiality ; just 'real' raw people living life, and the struggles that come with that. The comforting naturalism of the film could not be distilled by the powerful subject matter.

I also really love the overall straight-forward and emotionally direct nature of the film. I think it awakens stereotypes about black masculinity and sexuality so as to destroy them and in doing so demonstrates that the African American identity is much more complex than perhaps it has been portrayed in films from the past and reflects the progressive leaps in the industry right now. The film kind of reminds me of "Pariah (2011)", directed by Dee Rees, in this sense, which is another fantastic film.

From a technical aspect, the film was truly amazing from its abstract use of contrapuntal sound and lack of dialogue, to its fluid camerawork and lighting. The mise-en-scene really interested me; the gritty, neo-realist colours paired with the intensity and saturated colours that make it almost dreamlike really made you feel almost hypnotised the film and the kind of juxtaposition of the poverty-stricken Miami neighbouhood and the little glimpses of beauty 'Moonlight' uncovers in it. For me, the soundscape of the film was really the factor that brought 'Moonlight' from a great film, to a one-of-a-kind film, and acts a catalyst for the themes in the film. I think it just one of those things that you just dont understand why it works and is so synergistic and why it makes you feel the way you do, but Jenkin's makes sense of it all and creates something that really encapsulates everything I love about films; for me some of the best films are the ones you dont fully understand.