Friday, February 3, 2017

MOONLIGHT (2016) - Mahershala Ali, Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes


MOONLIGHT

Director:     Barry Jenkins
Writers:      Barry Jenkins
Actors:  Mahershala Ali, Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes, Jharrel Jerome, Andre’ Holland

I love when a film’s director is also the writer.  There is such a consistency and heart to the end result.  The story line is simple and straightforward.  It’s about a boy’s journey from child to man.

Juan (Mahershala Ali) and his wife Theresa are a strong thread in the first two incarnations of Little/Chiron/Black.  We witness pre-teen Little struggle to deal in a home governed by the needs of a drug-addicted mother and no father.  Juan, who is no saint, nevertheless provides a paternal model for Little, and Theresa provides the unselfish, maternal love Little’s own mother can’t provide.  Mahershala Ali is notable in his role.  He has a strong, subtle presence, all emotions and thoughts shining with genuine truth from his eyes.

One childhood friend, Kevin, manages to break through teenage Chiron’s inherent distrust, but events force him to betray Chiron, and Chiron morphs into the adult Black, still a loner and still unable to trust others easily.

I was distracted by the fact that the three actors who portray the three ages of Little/Chiron/Black look nothing alike.  However, they each conveyed the loneliness, distrust and soul of the character successfully.  Kevin’s character transition from boy to man was more physically believable to me.

Writer/director Barry Jenkins elicits honest performances from all his actors.  The scenes when Black and Kevin unite are loaded with unspoken emotions and thoughts. Yearning for the trust and friendship they once shared, the air is thick with their mutual fear of being rejected.

Ultimately, despite the harsh realities our hero has been forced to endure, the film itself is never judgmental and always humane.   I would have to say it’s a tender movie, all about heart and soul.

SUMMARY:  GEN:  8; JUST:  n/a; HUVA:  10

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4975722/?ref_=nv_sr_1
TAGS:  Barry Jenkins, Mahershala Ali, Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders

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