Moonlight film full#

Though this story is driven by that one character, Jenkins enwraps him in a no less impressive supporting cast. It’s rare to see three different actors depict a single life so convincingly, and Jenkins wisely gives each roughly equal screen time so the heavy load of Chiron is evenly spread. And Rhodes undercuts smooth charm with a sense of jagged disquiet as the buff, 26-year-old “trapper” with gold dentures who returns to that crossroads a decade later.

Sanders exudes explosive awkwardness as the gangly, bullied teen standing at a crossroads where he will be empowered either by love or rage. Hibbert is huge-eyed and heart-rending as the withdrawn, diminutive child left to fend for himself during his mother’s long absences. If the Best Actor Oscar could be shared, then Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes would be a shoo-in for their equally fearless, utterly absorbing three-in-one portrayal of Chiron (based in part on Jenkins himself, and in part on Tarell Alvin McCraney, whose play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue is the inspiration for Jenkins’ script). Not that they make any less of an impact. There are similarities to Richard Linklater’s Boyhood in the way Moonlight so astutely captures that bumpy, winding journey from child to man, though Chiron is more traditionally presented than Linklater’s Mason - in three separate chapters of his life and portrayed by three different actors. Jenkins’ attention is just as fixed on his characters and the actors who play them. Not that this is an exercise in style over substance. Jenkins has admirably resisted the faux-documentary style that often characterises films with such hard, street-level subject matter, and substitutes gleam for grit through its full-on widescreen framing and luxuriantly saturated colours.

Moonlight film full#

Yet, working with cinematographer James Laxton, Jenkins gives Moonlight a visual quality which matches its title, suffusing every scene with a preternatural glow - whether it’s a swimming lesson in the shimmering Atlantic, or a high-contrast teen Chiron (Ashton Sanders) easing the pain of his facial bruises in a basin full of ice. This is quite an achievement given it features scenes of harsh playground bullying and psychological abuse at the hands of a crackhead mother (Naomie Harris) and centres on a character, Chiron, who feels alienated by his sexuality.