Moonlight (2016)
One of the biggest, if not the biggest Best Picture upsets in recent memory came in 2016 when the small independent film Moonlight which slowly had gained momentum beat out the awards titan which was La La Land. Even if the presentation of this award victory was tainted with controversy, the win itself also meant victory for the Academy as they finally had embraced not just a queer but POC led film just a decade after the awards body failed to embrace diversity when heartbreakingly Crash beat Brokeback Mountain for the same award. Revisiting the film years after this upset, Moonlight still stands out as a beautiful exploration of not just sexuality but life itself.

The thing that immediately makes the film stand out is its plot structure following the main character through three different slices of his life. Being able to see this character go from being a kid to an adult naturally opens the door for new insights and narratives which simply can't be seen in films with a more traditional structure. The screenplay from Barry Jenkins is able to show how various elements of Chiron's childhood would go on to help him grow as a person which adds weight to pieces of the film such as Juan (Mahershala Ali) who becomes almost a father figure to Chiron while he is a kid. The film accomplishes this depth with a powerful subtleness. Moonlight is not a film that beats the audience on the head when something important happens instead allowing major moments and events wander in and out of the screenplay naturally as these events would in real life.
Where the screenplay is a huge reason why this structure works and finds the depth it achieves, it simply wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for the really incredible three performances that bring Chiron to life. Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes are tasked with providing three performances that will flow together as one cohesive total which seems near impossible. Someone like Ellar Coltrane from Boyhood was gifted by not having to worry about the small ticks and mannerisms that naturally come from a performance as those would naturally come from his performance every year being the same person. The three lead actors from Moonlight had to be conscious of these small details and do a shockingly good job. Despite being three different performances, there are visible small details that carry from performance to performance such as Chiron silent stare as he is thinking about what to say which brings this character to life.
Where the screenplay is a huge reason why this structure works and finds the depth it achieves, it simply wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for the really incredible three performances that bring Chiron to life. Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes are tasked with providing three performances that will flow together as one cohesive total which seems near impossible. Someone like Ellar Coltrane from Boyhood was gifted by not having to worry about the small ticks and mannerisms that naturally come from a performance as those would naturally come from his performance every year being the same person. The three lead actors from Moonlight had to be conscious of these small details and do a shockingly good job. Despite being three different performances, there are visible small details that carry from performance to performance such as Chiron silent stare as he is thinking about what to say which brings this character to life.

With that said, where the performances bring this character to life the one major issue with the film is how the film actually treats building this character. Where undoubtedly the film does a masterful job as building Chiron's relationships and struggles with subjects such as sexuality and toxic masculinity, it struggles to define Chiron as a person beyond this. For understanding so much about his deeper side, it never feels like the audience gets to know the basics of who Chiron is. The film, despite already being impactful, would have gone to the next level if it created a deeper connection between Chiron and the audience. The other slight issue is the ending which from a very first viewing felt a bit off. The film builds and builds but ends seemingly without ever reaching the climax it was working towards. There still is an undeniable lingering and haunting impact from the film up to this point, but it also feels like the film could have been taken to the next level if it had a more powerful and satisfying conclusion.
Where Moonlight might not be a perfect film, it is still a powerful and important film that offers a fresh and needed look at a cross-section between the queer and black experience. This is a truth for so many and the fact that it finally has been portrayed is wildly exciting. When mixed with the incredible filmmaking behind the film, Moonlight truly is something important that everyone should seek out if they haven't already and is going to be a film that sticks around for years to come.
Where Moonlight might not be a perfect film, it is still a powerful and important film that offers a fresh and needed look at a cross-section between the queer and black experience. This is a truth for so many and the fact that it finally has been portrayed is wildly exciting. When mixed with the incredible filmmaking behind the film, Moonlight truly is something important that everyone should seek out if they haven't already and is going to be a film that sticks around for years to come.