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Moonlight (2016)

I had heard a growing chorus about the greatness of Barry Jenkins" Moonlight from the festival circuit, and it is now gracing the number one spot on many critics" Top 10 films of the year. It's a three-way Oscar race at this point, with Manchester By The Sea, and La La Land. Before I saw the film, I did not understand the movie poster for Moonlight, but it is actually perfection. The film is split in three parts showing 10 year old "Little", a young teen and then a young adult Chiron. The poster shows all three actors split in thirds, and how they together make the whole person that is Chiron. The film Moonlight is based on the play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue which was written by Chicago Steppenwolf playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney. Little/Charon is a young taciturn 10 year old in the first segment. Chased by bullies who taunt him for being a "faggot". He hides out in a crackhouse, and is improbably rescued by the local drug dealer gang leader, Juan (Mahershala Ali in a tour de force). Mahershala Ali I was mainly familiar with from his excellent work as the lobbyist Remy in House of Cards, but he's one of those faces who has been in several TV series and movies like Hunger Games Mockingjay. I'venever seen him like this. He was quite simply amazing. He will be nominated for just about every supporting actor nomination available this awards cycle. Read the rest of my review here: https://moviemavengal.com/2016/12/17/moonlight-like-watching-beautiful-poetry-come-to-life/

This movie had literally no plot... spoilers ahead.... A black boy has a mom who is addicted to drugs so he often hangs out with a guy who sells his mom drugs. When he's older he has his first gay sexual experience only to have that same boy beat him up after by the school bully tells him to. Years later these two sweethearts meet up and cuddle...

That's it, that's literally the plot of the film. I felt that even with it showing the struggles of a black gay man it really didn't show the full deeper meaning of that. It was nothing special, everyone has had romantic struggle, bullying issues, bad parents...

I don't understand why Marsahala Ali won an Oscar, I mean his acting was good but he was in the movie for 2 minutes.