MOONLIGHT FIT
BARRY JENKINS’ EXPLORATION OF GROWING UP BLACK AND GAY IN AMERICA WORKS TO PERFECTION AND SHOULD CAST A LONG SHADOW OVER OTHER CONTENDERS THIS AWARDS SEASON
WORDS: JOE PASSMORE
FYI
Naomie Harris shot her scenes in just three days, in between her promotional work for Bond movie Spectre
FILM OF THE MONTH
MOONLIGHT
Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Janelle Monaé, Shariff Earp, Duan Sanderson
→ Divided into three separate acts, Moonlight follows the life of Chiron, a boy brought up in part by a drug dealer and his girlfriend and in part by a crackaddicted, abusive mother. Although the issues it deals with might sound heavy going, the film is a work of subtlety and sensitivity and one that explores the theme of homosexuality within a world that’s been rarely explored in the past. It tells the story of a black gay man that’s so rooted in reality and so far removed from the glamour of Hollywood that it forces us to broaden our perspective on America and what it stands for. Although its third act may not quite hold up to the elegant perfection of the first two, Moonlight is simple yet heart-breaking, fulfilling and uplifting. 17 February 5/5