Richard Linklater spent 12 years shooting his coming-of-age feature Boyhood, all of it chronologically and in real time. It was a great experiment, but after witnessing the new drama Moonlight, it certainly doesn’t seem like that approach was the only way to achieve its end. This production is just as impressive in many respects, using three actors to portray a character at different stages in their life. And somehow, the three performers manage to pull it off effortlessly.
At 9, the main character is referred to as Little (Alex Hibbert), a boy living in inner-city Miami with his crack-addicted mother Paula (Naomie Harris). Receiving no help from family or neighborhood kids, he ends up finding some solace in local drug dealer Juan (Mahershala Ali). Despite his sketchy job, Juan ends up rescuing the boy from certain doom and befriending him. As years pass, we pick up with the main character as a teenager (essayed by Ashton Sanders) and finally as an adult (Trevante Rhodes).
This movie is very subtle, focused on its central character and his struggles in identifying and accepting himself as gay. It’s leisurely paced and there aren’t any big or dramatic gestures, just depictions of simple life events that ultimately have a profound impact on his life. Many of these moments are disturbing, as he is continually berated and taunted for not following social conventions within his peer group. It results in a character who is constantly fearful, full of subtle ticks and lacking communication skills.
And that’s what makes the work of the actors so impressive. The three performers who play the character are so strong that despite looking different, they still convey the same sort of nervousness. It’s an incredibly seamless transition from time period to time period. In fact, it is frankly remarkable that one instantly recognizes and accepts each actor as the very same person.
Other performances are strong as well. Harris is a long way from Miss Moneypenny and the James Bond series here, imbuing her role as a drug addict with a wide variety of emotions, including frustration, anger, regret and just about every point in the middle. Ali also makes a big impression as a surprisingly mild-mannered dealer who becomes an unlikely ally in the early part of the film.
The movie’s photography is quite striking too. Locations like the projects are shot in a grimy and realistic manner, but when the main character finds himself at the ocean and beach, the movie takes on a dreamy, bright blue, neon-tinge. Water is a major motif in this film and the scenes shot in and around this cleansing environment look impressive.
It’s an incredibly hard life for the protagonist. Very few accept the lead for who he is and so many tragedies befall the character that the movie comes close to feeling oppressive at times. And the final scene between the protagonist and his mother feels a little too cleanly resolved. Ultimately, however, the performances and unique approach to the subject matter overcome any minor qualms. Just be warned that anyone expecting easy answers and a direct storyline may be confused. As in real life, many people come and go without explicit details about what happened to them.
This is a tale that is sensitively handled, making the lead’s plight easy to become involved in and sympathize with. And it’s to the movie’s credit that its small gestures end up carrying a big impact. The movie’s most powerful and affecting moment involves a simple hug. As arthouse films go, this one makes a big impact. Moonlight is a strong, engaging and unique tale of understanding and acceptance.