it means to be a man. Thank you Barry Jenkisns A revolutionary film made of truth and beauty.

of some folks lives to be seen in an unadulterated way. Moonlight wasn't supposed to give us some grandiose finale or even answers, but simply present a narrative that we often don't see. And that's what makes it so simple, painful, yet outstandingly beautiful. It's also important to remember that just because you don't understand something, that doesn't mean it is unimportant or invalid. Just because you can't relate to the entire story doesn't mean pieces of it can't teach you something about life. Just because the narrative is one that isn't widely told, doesn't mean it should be disregarded. If you don't understand this film or find it a waste, look deep inside yourself and ask why. 10/10 would recommend.

audience something to connect to in their own way. The way his camera roams around is sensually magnificent; he knows when to cut to the next shot and when to linger a few seconds longer. But above all else, his ability to add an extra texture to each scene is awe-inspiring; it's more than just style for the sake of style; it's essential to the movie's argument. From the very first shot to the very last, MOONLIGHT is about as beautiful a movie as you're likely to see this year. The colours are rich and luminous; James Laxton's cinematography is visually immersive leaving you stranded inside the story of the film. It moves at a smooth, welcoming pace. The music, whether it be the classical or hip-hop selections as well as Nicholas Britell's subtle score, is perfect. And the performance are, well… they're the cherry on top. It's uncanny how similar the 3 actors, who played the kid, teenage, and adult versions of Chiron behaved and acted; you'd almost think it was the same actor who played all three roles. Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris are more deserving of Oscar nominations than just about anyone I've seen this year. They may be the standouts, but all the performances, ranging from the children to the adults, are so raw and powerful; a standing ovation for the casting director is in order. But perhaps the thing about this movie that deserves the most acclaim is its open-endedness; it's fight against straightforward categorization and recap. MOONLIGHT so much more than a movie about growing up gay; it's about overcoming your adversities and, despite being a product of your environment, figuring out who you want to become. Identity takes time to discover, and that's something anyone can relate to.

magnetic presence made him the centerpiece of Luke Cage where he competes with, and surpasses, actors with much greater experience . If you watch this actor closely, not only is he in the moment, but his body seems to be in constant motion even when he is sitting still. Like a hummingbird. Awesome to behold and although he has been lately playing characters of "dubious morality" one gets the feeling he could play a hero just as easily.And then there is the performance of Naomie Harris, a performance so strong and memorable that I began to recall that, in the Golden Age of films, they used to refer to performances like hers as "searing" -- but lately I have not seen the term used very often in a review.So in honor of Ms. Harris I will say for the record that her performance in this film -- with minimal screen time -- is searing and unforgettable.Highly recommended.

will allow. He doesn't fit into any of the categories available to him, so he sets out to force himself into one that seems like the best option. His name is Chiron, and the movie shows him to us at three stages of his life, portrayed by three different but wonderful actors. As a little boy, he struggles with loneliness and neglect thanks to a crack-addicted mom played by Naomie Harris and takes to the first person who offers to be a father figure to him. In a Dickensian twist, this person happens to be a drug dealer who nevertheless offers him sympathy and understanding not to be found anywhere else. The middle section depicts Chiron as a young man navigating his emerging homosexuality and the high school bullying that goes along with it. In the film's final and most breathtaking sequence, we follow Chiron as a man in his twenties to a reunion with a high school friend who gave him his first gay experience and whom he's never been able to completely move on from. This entire sequence is directed, written, and acted with utmost delicacy.I can't think of a movie in recent memory that puts loneliness and anguish on screen more effectively than "Moonlight." It's a movie that asks us to see life from the perspective of a very specific individual but then draws universal conclusions from it that makes the superficial differences between him and the viewer I'm not black, I'm not gay, I didn't grow up in a poor urban environment melt away until you feel deep compassion and sympathy for a fellow human being who is doing what we all are -- navigating the complexities of living on this world and making the best of it we can.Grade: A

Moonlight feels like an introspective meditation on human experience. It is framed into the three parts of a black person's search for identity: Chiron the bullied loner kid, growing into the troubled teenager, to become the self-accepting man. Along the way, his physicality transitions from vulnerability, through confusion, to defiant strength, yet at each stage he is the same kid who doesn't fit in. There are only three human anchors in his life: his unstable drug-addict mother Paul, a drug-dealing proxy father Juan, and his only friend Kevin with whom he shares his sexual awakening. He grows with few words spoken from behind a psychological shield that he carries to ease the pain of disconnectedness. The film's all-black cast takes away the focus on race; what remains is a universal lonely man on a path to gay masculinity.The best-fit genre label for this narrative is 'coming-of-age', but this story is less about happenings and more about being and becoming. In so many scenes we are hauled in to share how Chiron physically experiences his forward propulsion. The filming style is key to its intimacy, with its close- framed detail conveying a tactile sensuality and personal connection to Chiron. The film is a swirling montage of memorable metaphors: such as Chiron's deer-like eyes reflecting terror of attacker and rescuer; a single falling tear depicting a torrent of pain; being cradled on water as a yearning for trust; his forgiving glare when Kevin betrays him; the open fingers grasping slipping sand one moment and physical pleasure the next; and his tortoise shell of heavy jewellery as a badge of machismo. Exquisite ambiguity and moral ambivalence is the colour palette of Moonlight, captured by hand-held camera-work that conveys frenzied realism and uncertainty about what is around the corner. No other recent film has such an understated narrative with such an overwhelming richness of moment and detail.Moonlight has more in common with impressionist paintings than modern cinema. It is soft-focused and visceral. It is not about race or sexuality or masculinity, yet it takes us into those spaces to experience the film rather than just watch. It defies holistic labels and compels engagement with its fragments. You do not see this film for entertainment but to share a journey into darkness to find light.

The same could be said about the lighting, however this movie didn't exactly need any special lighting effects. The character driven plot and writing were more than enough to keep this movie interesting.Barry Jenkins director, writer and Yesi Ramirez casting director did a great job mixing well known actors with less experienced ones. Mahershala Ali House of Cards, Luke Cage, The Hunger Games , and Naomie Harris Skyfall, Spectre, Pirates of the Caribbean highlight a deep cast, one in which it is hard to find a weak link. Moonlight deserves the praise it garnered at the Toronto Film Festival, where it premiered. This film tells a story which is often overlooked, and one that is important to hear.

admit bad behavior. This was deliberately underplayed and done well. Again, however, the set-ups could have been more elucidating. I realize that the director was not trying to make this an easy film to watch. In that respect, he succeeded. But he needed to make it user-friendly enough for those who may be know-nothings when it comes to the urban ghetto.

remember someone growing up from our past that was picked on or bullied as a kid or who grew up with a single parent the way that Chiron did.Chiron's a little black boy who's growing up in the rough slum projects of the Miami, Florida streets and he's doomed from the start by having a crack addicted mom and he's never known his father. In fact Chiron's only direction is that from the local street drug dealer named Juan Mahershala Ali .Plus Chiron is shy and timid he has a stutter problem and he's bullied and picked on at school he's beat up on quite often. As Chiron grows more self discovery and identity is formed especially sexually as Chiron discovers he's gay.More touching is how we see Chiron as a grown man in the end as the final scenes take him back to it all with memories and thoughts of how he was shaped and molded as an adult. Overall well done film of character development and it shows how people are products of their environment and the people that surround them have influence over them just like in Chiron's case.