The film is flat.
It just was not nuanced or colorful enough for me. We watched a boy get bullied as a child & teen for being a "faggot", but he did not even seem gay or different. Ok, fine. Some things can just be implied. Cool. His mom being a crackhead while he warmed up his own bathwater and oddly finds himself in the hands of Juan & Teresa was a stronger story than him being gay. I wanted to know more about Juan and Teresa. Who are these amazing , open minded and giving people from the hood? But instead... we quickly find out Juan died and even had a funeral. Ok...
Chiron, still ugly... is now in high school... He eventually messes around with the fine ass Dominican kid who was always nice to him his whole life. But they never talk again after Chiron damn near kills the school bully. He then grows up to be hyper masculine, isolated & in the streets -- a mirror of Juan. The only Daddy he ever knew.
10-20 years later.... Randomly, he gets a call from the Dominican dude who is now an extra from a black 80's sitcom. Steve Harvey fro and all. And looks about 10 years older than Chiron. He also has completely fallen off and became the head cashier at fucking Denny's. Yet even as a little kid he was rocking jewelry (had a gold chain and earrings) and had a car in high school with even more jewelry. So, that leads me to believe his parents had money. Or he at least loved nice things.
But now he's on the bus, stops wearing jewelry & looks 45? Eh... I get the whole "life hands you lemons" thing they tried there but weird writing and casting choice. And it was too distracting for me to fully engage with the end of the story.
Chiron drives a million miles to eat some dry ass diner food and they live happily ever after.
What is a PLOT? What is good writing?
It was just alright. But I can see why white America is going up. They just realized we are more than share croppers & field workers.
So, good for Moonlight.
