My Quick Thoughts: Moonlight is a movie told in three parts that chronicles the life of Chiron as he grows up in Miami with a drug addicted mom. Part one focuses on his life as a kid when he meets a couple from the neighborhood that he quickly befriends in order to escape his home life. It ends up being revealed that he is questioning his sexuality. Part two focuses on Chiron's teenage years where he is still dealing with his mom's drug issues and now is also dealing with all that comes along with being a gay teenager in a rough neighborhood. Finally, part three is Chiron as an adult and him still trying to find his place.
I know some people who absolutely loved this movie, and I read a lot of IMDB reviews of people who absolutely hated it. It seems to be two extremes, except for with me. I definitely fall somewhere in the middle. The story is a unique story that I have never seen in a movie before. It is raw and emotional, but I feel like it doesn't go far enough. I know they couldn't show everything in each phase of this person's life or it would have been a 12 hour movie, but I feel there were small holes that left me unsatisfied. For example, at some point one of his close friends dies. They don't say why or how and we don't get to see Chiron's feelings about this. They just briefly mention that there was a funeral. At the end of the teenage section of the movie something major happens and then they cut to ten years later and a much changed Chiron with no explanation, so once again you are forced to make assumptions. Having said that, the movie is shot beautifully with interesting camera work. Do I think this movie was good? Yes. Did I think it was perfection? Nah.
Favorite Quote: "At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you're going to be. Can't let nobody make that decision for you."
Overall Rating: A-
What I Was Doing That Year: My nephew was born that year.
Favorite Movie From That Same Year: Lion
