Moonlight is a purely beautiful film. From beginning to end, the stunning cinematography, compelling characters and subtle but effective storytelling create a masterpiece of a work that leaves the audience in awe. Common critiques include complaints of slow pacing and lack of subject matter, and while the film definitely takes its time in the first two acts, the latter could not be more untrue.Those used to hasty, oversaturated and uninspiring plots found in many of today's high-grossing films are, of course, going to struggle with Moonlight. This film makes textbook-equivalent use of the "show, don't tell" rule. This is not a feature for individuals who require stories to be spelled out to them. Moonlight is an exploration of the heart and soul, and of what it means to live as true to oneself. The themes of this film are present in every second of its runtime. In the conversations between mother and son, in the tender gazes between two childhood best friends-turned pining lovers. An important point worth mentioning is, of course, the treatment of these marginalized characters. The LGBT community's presence in cinema has been long standing, but poorly acknowledged. This is especially true of black and brown LGBT folk. Representation in media comes at a constant risk of falling into detrimental stereotypes, and very often it does. I come to expect this from every movie about gay characters. Therefore, going into Moonlight, I was naturally worried. Worried that I would have to endure yet more disappointment. As I watched the majority of the film through bated breath, I wondered what the outcome of our protagonist would be. To my surprise, I was greeted not with a painful and heartwrenching conclusion involving death or rejection, but with acceptance and comfort. The ending to this film left me crying not tears of sadness, but of affection. I have to admit that every time I watch Moonlight, I feel a familiar softness in my heart, a sort of vulnerability that overtakes me. The beauty of the writing and expert portrayal by the actors, wrapped up in engaging visuals along with a magnificent score make for one of the most gorgeous, touching, and fulfilling films of all time.

Altogether a memorable, solidly made film, the 2017 Oscar winning Best Picture "Moonlight" has little to distinguish it from the other nominees in the same category of Best Picture aside from its LGBQT content. Despite strong performances by a uniformly gifted cast, director Barry Jenkins' second feature-length film (everything else has been classified as a 'short') looks and sounds familiar. We have another African-American drama high school set in the inner city (Liberty City) of the thriving metropolis of Miami, Florida, and the underdog protagonist Chiron is the product of a broken home who suffers mercilessly at the hand of intimidating bullies. Chiron's mother is just as heartless as the school bullies who harass him without let-up. Predictably, the moment he retaliates against his chief adversary Terrell (newcomer Patrick Decile), our protagonist finds himself clapped into handcuffs and packed off to prison. Sometimes, stories like this appall me, because the lead character-Chiron (variously played at different ages by Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and eventually Trevante Rhodes), has found life a challenge from the start and ordeal in progress. To say that Chiron has been treated unfairly is an understatement. Ironically, prison seems to be a break for him because it regenerates him into a strong, intelligent, perceptive man. Meantime, Chiron's single-mother Paula (beautifully played by a dolled-down Naomie Harris of "Spectre") is addicted to crack and spends time with a variety of men, often driving Chiron away from home to fend for himself. Briefly, Chiron finds a father figure in a Cuban dope dealer, Juan (Mahershala Ali of "Hidden Figures"), who takes him in with his girlfriend Teresa (Janelle Monáe of "Hidden Figures") and raises him during the moments that he has with him. For example, Juan advises Chiron to never sit with his back to a door because he won't know who is sneaking up behind him. Unfortunately, Chiron is as clueless about this as he is about life in general. He knows that the other kids at school ridicule him and want to use him as a punching bag. Eventually, one truculent student Terrel (newcomer Patrick Decile) compels Chiron's best friend in high school, Kevin (Jharrel Jerome) to unload on him in the playground, knocking him down three times while everybody else watches but nobody says anything. What bothers Chiron the most is the word 'faggot,' and Juan tells him frankly what it means. "A faggot is... a word used to make gay people feel bad," Juan explains. Nevertheless, Juan adds, "You can be gay, but you don't have to let nobody call you a faggot." Eventually, a hopelessly confused Chiron has his first sexual encounter with an apparently heterosexual friend, Kevin (Jharrel Jerome) and later feels betrayed when Kevin slugs him thrice at Terrel's insistence. "Moonlight" occurs in three phases of Chiron life. First, he is an adolescent dealing with his hateful mother. Second, he is a high school student struggling for help. Third, he is a grown man with a body like Hercules. For the sake of closure, Jenkins doesn't tell us what happened to Terrel. We see him sprawled in the floor of the classroom after Chiron has shattered a chair across his back. The moment that Chiron resorts to physical violence to attack Terrel was one of the more liberating moments in "Moonlight." Despite everything that Chiron suffers through from homeless to prison, he emerges as a self-aware individual who doesn't behave like a domino pushing others around because he had been pushed around."Moonlight" is a good film, but it is not a great film. The Best Picture Oscar "Moonlight" took home virtually guarantees that this social melodrama will never be forgotten. Academy had shunned African-Americans in previous years. Mahershala Ali deserved his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his quiet, restrained performance. The third Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay by Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney, based on his previously unpublished play "In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue" is deserved, too. According to reports, Jenkins and McCraney both attended the same schools in Liberty City, but they were not friends at the time. Although the film concerns controversial subject matter, Jenkins never shows any overt sexual scenes with nudity, apart from a kiss between Kevin and Chiron and the groans of orgasm when they sit together.

This is perhaps one of the greatest pieces of filmmaking that I have seen in a very long time. Everything about this movie is outstanding and beautiful. Barry Jenkins does such a great job of portraying how our experiences, both the good and the bad, truly shape who we are as human beings. I loved the soundtrack and the cinematography especially. This film is simply an engaging masterpiece that definitely was not what I was expecting.Moonlight depicts three important stages in the life of the protagonist, Chiron. The film begins by showing the first chapter in Chiron's life, titled "Little." The audience sees that Chiron is a quiet and reserved character who is often tormented by his peers. He is eventually taken in by Juan, a drug dealer, and his girlfriend, Teresa. It is also revealed that Chiron's mother is a crack addict who receives her drugs from Juan. In this chapter, Chiron meets Kevin, who introduces Chiron to the realities of boyhood. The second chapter, titled "Chiron," focuses on Chiron during his adolescence. Chiron is still tormented by bullies and his mother has slipped further into addiction. However, Chiron reunites with Kevin and the two smoke a blunt on the beach (among other things). The next day, Kevin is pressured by a bully into fighting Chiron and this results in Chiron retaliating by beating the bully with a chair. Chiron is arrested and moves to Atlanta with his mother. The third and final chapter, titled "Black," focuses on Chiron's adulthood. It is shown that Chiron has become a muscular drug dealer who resembles Juan. His mother, on the other hand, has been rehabilitated and wishes that Chiron would abandon the criminal life. Chiron and Kevin meet again at the restaurant where Kevin works. They discuss how they each progressed in life and drive to Kevin's. Once there, Chiron reveals that Kevin is the only person to ever touch him sexually. The two then embrace each other and the film concludes with a shot of black children playing under the moonlight.There is deep internal conflict with the character of Chiron. Throughout the film he is depicted struggling with his sexuality and masculinity. We see that Chiron copes with these internal struggles by being a quiet and reserved individual. Chiron's questioning of his sexuality is only further complicated by his relationship with Kevin. Chiron internalizes a lot of the personal traumas that he undergoes and this creates the character that the audience sees in the final chapter of the movie, a hardened and physically muscular individual who survives by intimidating those around him.The theme of bullying is present throughout a majority of the film. The audience sees that Chiron has dealt with bullies since childhood and we see the effect that this has on his character. There is also a complicated conflict that ensues between Kevin and Chiron, both characters are eager to validate their masculinity and this results in them being pitted against each other.While this film doesn't make a point of directly responding to social issues, Jenkins does address issues of poverty, drug abuse and homophobia through his characters. We see that a lot of what drives the conflict in this film are issues that are caused by society. Juan's desperation for financial security leads to him unknowingly supporting Chiron's mother's crack addiction. Traditional society's emphasis on hyper masculinity results in the teenage males engaging violence simply for the sake of validation. Another aspect of this film that I enjoyed was the visual symbolism. Moonlight places heavy emphasis on the color blue throughout the film, and this results in some memorably dope sequences that left me mesmerized. I also love how the film foreshadows the fight that is to take place between Chiron and Kevin by having the two playfully wrestle each other as children.At its core, Moonlight is a film that addresses a lot of the issues that afflict the Black community, but it does so through the unique perspective of a black male questioning his sexuality. This movie shows the way that hyper masculinity can detrimentally affect young people and how love can rectify this.

I am finding a lot of movies nowadays are so boring that I am inclined to walk out after an hour or so. However, some films get going in the second half and you find it was worth persevering with. Not this one. Told in three parts with some excellent acting the plot was week and one dimensional. Just when you think the story was about to take off it went back to the long drawn out scenes with too many pauses between dialog that you are left wondering if the conversation has been muted. Talking of conversation there are moments when the jive talk is impossible to interpret and you think you are watching a sequel to "Airplane." Good beginning, some middle and an ending that makes the movie a waste of time. Oscar winner? Shouldn't be.