Moonlight

The hype was real! I expected big things, and very possibly even a new "favorite movie of 2016." Almost! For now, I'll give it the silver. The Lobster was just exactly what I want from a movie, guys. I make no apologies for that! But I'm not here to talk about The Lobster. Let's talk Moonlight.

This was quieter and gentler than I expected it to be, but also even stronger - and that soft confidence stems primarily from the trio of performances that constituted the main character through the years. (Oh yeah - if you didn't know, this is gay black Boyhood.) It's a subtle movie, but one that i'd be impossible to call pretentious. There's no hidden meaning here, no red herring, nothing "tricky." There's a boy. He becomes a teen, and then a man. He comes from circumstances, as people do. And it gets better. This is that story - loss of innocence, newfound confidence, and that awkward middle portion in between. (High school sucks, right?)

Now, La La Land is probably going to win Best Picture at the Oscars. I have some thoughts on that, but hey, whatever. That said, up until a month or two ago, Moonlight was the odds on favorite to win Best Picture. And it still might! But now that I've seen it, I don't think so. This is so vehemently not Oscar bait. It's a reserved, low-budget, low-concept movie without any star power or big names attached to it. Manchester by the Sea has a better shot. Hell, Arrival has a better shot. But here I go again, talking about movies that aren't Moonlight!

Moonlight was very, very good. Five stars. Mahershala Ali was just outstanding, captivating. Naomie Harris may have quietly been even better. What a genuine-feeling goddamn delight this was!