Moonlight Review

     Moonlight! I honestly had no interest for this movie before it came out but there was simply too much buzz surrounding this movie and I couldn’t ignore it.  It didn’t seem bad but it just didn’t look like my type of movie. When Boyhood came out I remember how everyone was raving about it, while it fell flat for me. I was hoping my expectations would be proven wrong but I had a feeling Moonlight would be the same case. 

     Unfortunately, I really disliked this movie. Again, I thought it would be like Boyhood and it was. The problem I find with these type of films is that they’re very flat-lined. They don’t have a traditional three act arc. They’re more focused on authentically portraying everyday life rather than building to some sort of climatic moment. There’s nothing wrong with it but it’s not for me. 

     It’s hard to review because technically there’s nothing really wrong with Moonlight. The acting is strong, the themes it tackles are relevant, and the music was extremely good. However, I couldn’t get into it. I struggled to get through it because I kept hoping that something was going to happen an that I’d be hooked but nothing ever came. 

     The basic story revolves around the concept of personal identity. That can be a really strong subject for a film to focus on. There’s a few scenes were Moonlight shows how powerful a story like this can be. Those moments hit home for me. That being said, there weren’t nearly enough of them and because of it the story just dragged along and once in a while it reached a high point.

     I was trying to think more specifically why I was never grabbed by the movie. I think there’s two main elements holding it back. First, the main character is extremely soft spoken. The reason that’s such a problem is because most of the screen time is mainly him. So if he isn’t doing anything nothing is happening. That’s the whole film. Nothing much goes on. The second thing, is that it’s too disjointed. Not only does it feel like there’s barely any through line but some important plot elements are brought up and never addressed again. One character disappears in the middle of the film and no mention of it is made at all for the rest of it. 

     With all the positive buzz, I thought Moonlight could impress me a lot. I didn’t want to make a top of 2016 list until I saw it because I thought it could very well be on it. I guess it’s not for me but almost everyone else seems to love it so still check it out. I give it 4/10