●●●●○

Beyond the rusting metal fences and the abandoned bicycles of suburban Miami, is the infinitesimal expanse of Atlantic Ocean. A man stands in the water, teaching a boy, a younger version of himself perhaps, how to float. The camera rests on the surface of the ocean, bobbing up and down in rhythm with Juan’s words. The scene is so quiet and yet so powerful, very much like Moonlight as a whole.

The premise of Moonlight is incredibly expansive. Divided into three parts, Moonlight takes a snapshot of key moments in the life of Chiron – a boy from a predominantly poor, black neighbourhood of Miami – from his childhood up to his late twenties. In the first part of the film, Chiron (nicknamed Little) is ferociously bullied. His mother, played by the stunning Naomie Harris, is deaf to her child’s pleas for help as she struggles to overcome her drug addiction. It is under the wing of the local drug dealer Juan that Little learns that his voice deserves to be heard.

Moonlight’s director, Barry Jenkins, weaves together a story that tackles themes that are rarely touched on in cinema today: black masculinity and black homosexuality. As Little grows into Chiron as a teenager in high school, he begins to understand his own sexuality and the consequences this may have on his social identity. As a character, Chiron is reminiscent of Ryan Gosling’s character in Drive; he offers minimal commentary on the events that come to shape his life. Chiron is a brooding, reserved figure that the audience instantly feel sympathy towards because of the unfair treatment he is subjected to by the people around him.

Perhaps the other main character of Moonlight is the landscape of Miami, Florida. Through the eyes of Chiron, we enter a world in which money is scarce and the people are desperate and intolerant. The houses are dilapidated and the grass is scorched and yellow. In each portrait of Chiron’s life, it is clear that his relationship with his environment is deeply inhibiting to his sense of worth. The cinematography and music reflect this well, building an atmosphere of taut, irrevocable dread.

Moonlight is nominated for eight Academy Awards this year. It enters the race as the underdog, competing against the giants La La Land and Manchester By The Sea. While it may not come away with many Oscars on the 27th of February, it is important to note the recognition that Jenkin’s film has received because of its nominations. Moonlight is a quiet affair, there are no flashy costumes or swelling string quartets in the score. It does however, shimmer incandescently, the simple tale of a boy growing up in a hostile community carried by an impressive combination of eloquent writing and exceptional direction.