With this year's Academy Awards just a few weeks away, it is very likely that we are expecting La La Land to win Best Picture. However, I truly think that the more deserving film to win is Moonlight. If you have not seen Moonlight, it is a movie that takes place in three parts of the main character, Chiron. It tells the story of his childhood, adolescence, and adult years. It is a movie about accepting who you are and self discovery, told in a beautiful way.
Ever since Moonlight was released world wide, it has been highly praised by critics and movie goers. The high points are that this movie is spot-on with its acting, direction, score, subject matter, and more. It is not too often you see a movie where all of these things stand out. The director Barry Jenkins is highly praised for the direction of this movie. He tells this story in such a unique way of direction that captivates you.
The acting is also an essential part of why this is such a great movie. Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris are nominated for Oscars in the supporting acting categories. Ali recently won a SAG award for his performance, and will most likely win the Oscar for playing Juan, a drug dealer who is an early influence on young Chiron. Chiron is played by three different actors to show his age progression, and they all do a spectacular job at showing Chiron go through these stages of his life and learning about who he is.
The story of Moonlight is one you don't see all the time, and it truly tugs on your heart strings. Moonlight tells the story of Chiron, who is spending his life coming to terms that he is a homosexual man. He gets bullied throughout his youth and adolescence for this. You see him grow throughout the movie and learns to accept himself.
It is truly a beautiful film, and captured the spirit of the play it is based on, In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney. The way it is shot and crafted really strikes an emotional cord with you. There are some moments where it really makes you sad to watch, but it is important to see what this character goes through. I think that it is the best film of 2016, regardless if it will win the Oscar or not, and I highly suggest seeing it.
