Hi darlings,
I have wanted to see moonlight since it came out in the US, November of last year. I wanted to see it because it explored a different side to what we consider the norm with regard to black masculinity. Going into the film I knew even if I didn't like it, it would not be a waste of my money, reviews all around had assured me that it would at the very least sustain my interest.
Nothing could have prepared me for it.
It is a beautiful film in so many ways: it is a film about minority told by minority. It dabbles into the never ending debate of nature vs nurture. Most importantly it engulfs you in such a way you that the character's reality feels like your reality. The visuals and sound quality have a 3D effect sans uncomfortable/unflattering glasses.
But above all this film succeeds in its portrayal of characters that are more like actual people, rather than the one dimensional characters that cloud our screens. That haste with which we feel we can judge others disappears because there are various elements that make up these characters and really us as human beings. Do you hate Juan because he is a drug dealer or love him because of his kindness as a father figure and a husband? Do hate Paula because she is the personification of Satan as a mother or do you take pity on her and see her as her most vulnerable self: desperate and in need for an escape? You will leave questioning yourself but not before you find a piece of your soul that aligns with a character and a deeper appreciation of us all as humans.
This is a film you need to see.
Stay beautiful because you are, Jasmine x
