Fresh from its shocking and much deserved Best Picture Oscar win, Moonlight has landed on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Academy Award history is littered with films that the membership could have a tinge of regret that they anointed Best Picture. Moonlight is not one of those films. It is a stunning achievement that decades, and even a century from now, the voting body of the film industry can be supremely proud of giving it the highest honor in the profession.
Moonlight is an intensely personal, while simultaneously beautiful and brazen look at what it means to not only be African American in this country today, but also gay. It is a film that can be embraced by all audiences (and has been). It also is for anyone who has felt like they were on the outside looking in.
Co-writer and director Barry Jenkins (Tarell Alvin McCraney also wrote the story) introduces us to Chiron at three intensely distinctive stages of his life — as a young boy, as a teenager and as a grown man. As such, Jenkins’ tale feels like a stage play. His mother Paula (Oscar nominee Naomie Harris) is a crack addict who is far from there for her son. In fact, she clearly impedes his growth, both literally and figuratively. Chiron’s rare solid influence in his life is Juan (Mahershala Ali, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his stunning turn). He does the best he can to install the virtues of humanity in this young man who he met on the streets — as much as he can while he too strives to survive in the sun soaked urban jungle mean streets of Miami.
The inspirational, intelligent and insightful film is stunning on numerous levels. It is beautiful to witness. It manages to be a piece of eye candy in its cinematography that presents its often rough truths in a manner that is vividly riveting. You cannot look away and that is firmly by design by the genius that is Jenkins. Moonlight is an announcement of brilliant talent and keen social awareness that has us making a mental note to be first in line for absolutely anything he attaches his name to.
Moonlight is also a game changer of a film and in more than one manner. It was made for merely $1.5 million and teaches Hollywood a lesson. A piece of art that also informs, enlightens and entertain can does not take truckloads of cash to bring to life. If the story is there, if the message is meaningful, talent will line up to become a part of something that will change lives, become part of history and maybe even… earn the cinema’s top honor. The film is also significant because of its subject matter. The number of lives it will help is countless. We need more works of art like it to help our youngest forge a future free of the binds that restricted so many of our predecessors.
Casting is another spoke in the astounding wheel that is Moonlight that hits all the high notes. Finding the three actors who portray our protagonist had to be one tough search, but somehow filmmakers achieved a miracle in that the trio who inhabit Chiron are simply put… a collective match made in heaven. Standouts also include Janelle Monáe and Trevante Rhodes and Andre Holland.
The Moonlight (which is based on the autobiographical play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by McCraney) Blu-Ray bonus features are led by Cruel Beauty: Filming in Miami. The featurette, first of all could not have a better title, features Jenkins extolling the virtues of filming on location and how the locale almost became a character all to itself. You’ve seen the Florida city in many a film, but after witnessing Moonlight, you will never see it quite in the same light — especially after soaking in this bonus feature.
As we stated, the cast is sublime. Ensemble of Emotion: Making Moonlight is a terrific look at the thespians that comprise Jenkins’ group as they talk about the importance of the film, their collective preparation techniques that were so vital to getting ready for a film of such incredible magnitude and at just over twenty-one minutes, will have you wanting more!
We also cherished the Poetry Through Collaboration: The Music of Moonlight featurette. Composer Nicholas Britell gets the spotlight and one will certainly have an even higher appreciation for this film after seeing what Britell achieved in bringing a sonic layer to a film that already has so many rich levels to it.
For those who crave even more insight, do not miss the chance to witness the film with the audio commentary turned on as Jenkins brings a level of insight to the already powerful film that will only further enhance your appreciation for its mastery.
Film Grade: A+
Bonus Features: A