[yasr_overall_rating]
A timeless story of human connection and self-discovery, Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.
North Texas native, Trevante Rhodes (Chiron), shines as a young black male being raised by a single parent in a rough Miami neighborhood. He is no match though for his drug-dependent mother Paula (Naomie Harris), who thrives on his mentor Juan’s (Mahershala Ali) constant supply of drugs to get her through each and every moment of her maladjusted life. What seems like a one-way trip to the fastest lane of destruction, turns into an almost evenly balanced power struggle when Juan’s girlfriend, Janelle Monae, steps in to provide a safe haven for love, encouragement and positive reinforcement that extends beyond the hatred and jealousy of an absent mother who both relishes and demeans her, and a boyfriend who feels obligated to be a positive influence in spite of his lifestyle that contributes to the dysfunction of his mentee.
Director Barry Jenkins, takes us through three specific stages of Chiron’s life which includes being a young child, Little (Alex R.Hibbert), an adolescent, Black (Ashton Sanders), and an adult, (Trevante Rhodes). These stages of life encompass bullying, coercion, loss of identity, regret, and finally, acceptance as Chiron grows into an adult who continuously pushes forward in spite of the insurmountable odds that forced him into survival mode for the greater part of his life. A very strong cast played a vital role in the success of this film and the constant life lessons that were learned along the way provided an endearing story of tolerance and self-identity. This film, which also deals with a toxic dose of masculinity and sexuality, builds a strong case for developing a strong sense of self in spite of everything that surrounds us and attempts to lead us in a direction other than what society, or we ourselves accept as our fate.
For mature audiences, it is both entertaining, educational and uplifting. For all who dare think that our childhood foundations have little impact on us all the days of our lives, we are forever changed by personal and social factors that indeed determine who we will or will not become as a result.
In theaters Friday, November 4th
