Movie Stats:
Released 2016 (USA)
American, in English
Director - Barry Jenkins
Stars - Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes, Mahershala Ali
Plot Summary:
This movie showcases the life of Chiron, a gay black boy with a crack-addicted mother (played by Naomie Harris) growing up in a rough neighborhood in Miami. Hibbert plays Chiron as a child; Sanders plays him as a teenager; and Rhodes as an adult. Ali co-stars as Juan, a drug dealer who takes Chiron under his wing.
Warnings:
Heavy blue language (including gay & racial slurs); sexy times; violence; minor gore; drug use (marijuana, crack).
Bad Stuff:
The pace could easily be described as ponderous.
I didn’t care for the experimental camera work. Also, I’ve seen people complain about “lens flare” in other movies (most notably 2009’s “Star Trek”) but it’s not something I ever noticed before this film, where it is both obvious & very distracting.
The ending is rather abrupt/unsatisfactory.
Good Stuff:
The performances from both Ali and Harris are phenomenal. I completely understand why both of them were nominated for Best Supporting awards (and why Ali won).
It’s a very understated, nuanced portrayal of the cycle of poverty, all the pitfalls & how difficult it can be to escape.
It does an excellent job of setting the tone. You can really feel Chiron’s isolation and loneliness.
The Verdict:
I liked it well enough. I don’t think I liked it as much as I expected to, mostly because of how slow it is. I must have checked the time on my phone at least ten times. Also, I found it difficult to connect with Chiron because his character rarely speaks, especially in his younger years. Finally, I was disappointed that Ali’s part is relatively small. I would have liked to see way more of him. Still, I appreciated how understated it is. It's fine piece of storytelling that doesn’t tell you what to think or feel. It gets its point across without beating you over the head with it. In the end, despite the bleak circumstances of most of the characters, I felt a sense of hope, like maybe things could turn it okay, even if I know that they probably won’t, because that’s what the cycle of poverty does to people. It’s a beautiful film, just not one of my favorites.
I give it 3.75 stars.
Note: The Best Picture Master List has been updated to include this movie. It comes in at #39.
2 comments:
I liked how quiet this film was (especially for a best picture winner) but I had the advantage of seeing it in the theater where time passes in a different way than at my home.
I found the transition between teenage/adult Chiron to be really abrupt and would have liked to see more detail there. But then again, that's why I'm attracted to YA novels.
Also, Ali, played one of my favorite characters of the 2016 movie year. I was thrilled when he won.
Yes, I agree that the transition between teenage and adult Chiron was very abrupt.
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