Moonlight

MOONLIGHT
2016 | Dir. Barry Jenkins | 111 Minutes

"You could be gay, but you don't got to let nobody call you no faggot."

Chiron, a shy African-American child nicknamed "Little" growing up in an impoverished South Miami neighborhood is antagonized by bullies and his emotionally abusive drug addict mother. A local pusher forms a positive bond with Little and quickly becomes a father figure to the boy but he soon realizes his business directly harms Little. As a teenager, Chiron becomes aware that he is sexually attracted to his childhood friend Kevin, but a violent incident involving Kevin drives him to retaliate against a tormentor. Several years later, now going a drug dealer going by the moniker "Black," Chiron reconnects with Kevin.

Written and directed by Barry Jenkins, based on MacArthur Fellow Tarell Alvin McCraney's semi-autobiographical play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, Moonlight is a work of true cinematic art. Jenkins' screenplay elegantly tells a deeply personal story of emotional conflict and personal discovery, chronicling Chiron’s journey into manhood, exploring what it means to be a man without providing a limiting definition. Admirably, Jenkins' direction never crosses over into heavy-handedness, a common pitfall countless great film directors still fail to avoid. Cinematographer James Laxton, and film editors Nat Sanders and Joi McMillon, have done commendable work in creating the three-act story, every frame a striking painting, each expertly timed sequence seamlessly flowing to the next. Also notable are composer Nicholas Britell's moving film score, Jenkins' expert use of diegetic music, and a recurring beach and ocean motif signifying Chiron's contentment.

Three talented actors playing Chiron for each of the narrative's three acts, each delivering their own unique take on the character. Child actor Alex Hibbert portrays Little with a moving quality of youthful innocence. Ashton Sanders is convincing as the teenage Chiron, a confused young man on the cusp of adulthood seething with anger just under the surface. As Black, Trevante Rhodes successfully demonstrates Chiron's transformation to what is virtually the inverse of Sanders' Chiron, a gentle soul encased in a rough abrasive exterior.

Though less dramatically notable than his counterpart, the part of Kevin is also played by three actors for each act of the story with Jaden Piner as Kevin as a child, Jharrel Jerome as teenage Kevin, and André Holland as the adult Kevin. Breaking type for the first time in her film career, the typically affable Naomie Harris is convincingly frightening and heartbreaking as Chiron's drug-addled mother Paula. Though he only appears during the first act of the film, Mahershala Ali leaves a lasting impression as Juan, bringing real pathos to the atypical role of a drug dealer who contains multitudes. Singer Janelle Monáe makes her film acting debut and delivers a likeable natural performance as Juan's attractive and emotionally supportive girlfriend Teresa. The film also features young actor Patrick Decile as archetypal school bully Terrel.

Visually stunning, featuring an extraordinary cast of young and veteran performers, Barry Jenkins' Moonlight is a remarkable motion picture. Though its narrative focuses on the life of one individual without straying far from one specific geographical region, the film's emotional scope is astonishingly grand, exploring numerous facets of personal identity discovered and transformed by time and pressure - both personal and societal.


FRAGMENTS
-  Roughly 80% of the film was shot on location in the real-life poverty-stricken Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, Florida

- Janelle Monáe and Mahershala Ali also appear in Hidden Figures, also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2017


007 CONNECTIONS
- Naomie Harris (Moneypenny in Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time To Die)

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Mahershala Ali (Eric Brooks in Blade)

Manchester by the Sea

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
2016 | Dir. Kenneth Lonergan | 137 Minutes

"I can't beat it."

Lee Chandler, an emotionally withdrawn man working a menial job, travels back to his hometown when his brother suffers a fatal heart attack. Temporarily caring for his nephew Patrick, Lee learns his brother had named him Patrick's legal guardian. Haunted by a tragic past mistake, with no desire to stay in his hometown despite Patrick's insistence, Lee reluctantly faces his demons.

A character study of a damaged man who quietly but adamantly refuses to forgive himself, Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea is a deceptively powerful film. Unexpectedly given the legal obligation to look after his recently-orphaned nephew Patrick with several incentives to begin a new life in his hometown, Lee makes it clear that he would consider any living arrangement that would not require him to stay in town - with or without his nephew. Lee can't make small talk, preferring to drift through the rest of his days with minimal human interaction outside of provoking the occasional bar fight. Artfully, Lonergan's narrative alternates between Lee's present, doing a poor job of helping his nephew cope with loss, and his seemingly happier (if dysfunctional) past leading up to the earth-shattering event that cost him his family. The reveal and subsequent fallout are nothing short of operatic.

In a performance exclusively consisting of subtle choices, Casey Affleck is absolutely captivating as the sullen Lee, every movement furtively taken as if poisoned by the winter air surrounding him in every frame of the film. His co-star Lucas Hedges, playing nephew Chandler, perfectly complements Affleck's turn with defiant youthful energy. Though her screen time is limited, Michelle Williams delivers one of the best performances of the film (in a film rich with wonderful performances) playing Lee's heartbroken ex-wife. As Patrick's estranged mother, Gretchen Mol plays the dramatic foil to Affleck's Lee, a recovering alcoholic seeking redemption, trying to recover what remains of her family. Seasoned actor Kyle Chandler is expectedly reliable appearing in flashbacks as Casey's brother Joe. The film also features C.J. Wilson, Kara Hayward, Anna Baryshnikov, and Heather Burns in small but notable supporting roles. Amusingly, Matthew Broderick appears in one scene as Patrick's off-putting religious step-father.

Driven by a nuanced but powerful performance by Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea presents its audience with considerably challenging dramatic questions: At what point would one deserve forgiveness for a fatally devastating mistake that resulted in tragic personal loss? Is living with irreparable loss punishment enough? As compelling as it is contemplative, the picture does not offer any easy answers. It is a story of slow, agonizing defeat. Sometimes, one cannot go home again.


FRAGMENTS
- Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan's screenplay for the film was featured on the 2014 Black List (The Black List is an annual survey of the most-liked Hollywood movie scripts not yet produced)

- Lonergan makes a cameo appearance as a pedestrian who makes a sarcastic remark regarding Lee's poor parenting

- Producer Matt Damon was set to direct or star in the film during various points of its development but declined both opportunities due to scheduling conflicts

- Stephen Henderson, who has a small part as Lee's boss, also appears in Fences, also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2017

Lion

LION
2016 | Dir. Garth Davis | 118 Minutes

"Do you have any idea what it's like knowing my real brother and mother spend every day of their lives looking for me?"

In 1986, a young boy named Saroo from a remote village in India is separated from his family after falling asleep on a train to Kolkata. After surviving on the streets alone, Saroo finds himself in an orphanage and a benevolent Australian couple adopts him. Twenty years later, Saroo's friends encourage him to search for his native village and birth family using Google Earth. His search puts strain on his interpersonal relationships as feelings of guilt for living an entitled life in relative comfort consume him.

Based on Saroo Brierley's non-fiction memoir A Long Way Home, the first half of Lion, director Garth Davis' feature debut, is a harrowing cinematic journey as poor lost Saroo dodges adults with sinister intentions at seemingly every turn. While still engaging, the second half of the picture isn't nearly as viscerally captivating, much of it focused on Saroo's internal struggle as he searches for a vital missing piece of his personal identity. Instead of focusing on Saroo's research process, the narrative is exclusively centered on the drama between Saroo and his loved ones in Australia as the frustration from his seemingly hopeless quest causes him to alienate them. Though presented in the most saccharine possible, the film's ending in which Saroo is reunited with his Indian family is well-earned after the filmmakers put the audience through the emotional wringer.

As Saroo Brierley, Dev Patel spends most of his screen time during the second half of the film shifting between in anguish and frustration. Though he makes it easy for the audience to empathize with Saroo, it is also difficult to watch and, at times, exhausting. Nicole Kidman and David Wenham play Sue and John Brierley, Saroo's adoptive parents. Kidman does most of the dramatic heavy lifting as a virtually infallible maternal figure. As girlfriend Lucy, Rooney Mara's role mostly serves to pile on extra emotional stakes for Saroo's search and never really becomes a fully realized character. Divian Ladwa plays Saroo's psychologically damaged adoptive brother Mantosh, a dramatic foil to Saroo that is mostly underutilized in the film.

The true star of the picture is 8-year-old Sunny Pawar. Pawar is extraordinary playing young Saroo, demonstrating incredible range for an actor his age, perfectly establishing the formative tragic events that occurred early in Saroo's life. His accidental journey from Khandwa to Kolkata and the series of hardships he suffered there are the strongest sequences of the film thanks in no small part to his performance.

Lion is truly a great film but unfortunately, the sense of immediate urgency captured so perfectly during the first hour of its narrative seemingly slips away in its second half. Based on true events, Saroo Brierley's story is moving and undeniably epic. The picture explores the basic human need to know and understand ones origins, occasionally calling into question but ultimately broadening the definition of family.


FRAGMENTS
- The film ends with a note encouraging viewers to visit the picture's official website (now defunct) for information on how to help protect street children around the world

- Nicole Kidman was handpicked by the real-life Sue Brierley to play her in the film

- Nicole Kidman and David Wenham previously appeared together in Baz Luhrmann's Australia

- Director Garth Davis was a camera operator for the 60 Minutes television special on Saroo's story

La La Land

LA LA LAND
2016 | Dir. Damien Chazelle | 128 Minutes

"Here's to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem. Here's to the hearts that ache. Here's to the mess we make."

After several chance encounters, aspiring actress Mia and struggling Jazz pianist Sebastian fall in love.  While Mia and Sebastian mutually encourage each other to pursue their respective dreams, their relationship deteriorates when Sebastian sets aside his plan to open a jazz club after he finds steady lucrative work playing with a popular band, while success continues to elude Mia.

From its ambitious one-take opening number on a stretch of Los Angeles highway to the intimate tribute to dreamers performed by Mia before the film's incredible finale, Damien Chazelle's La La Land is a masterpiece consisting of brilliant choreography, boisterous music by Chazelle’s regular collaborator Justin Hurwitz, and profound emotional depth. Uplifting musical numbers aside, the film's central love story plays out in a believable fashion from start to end, perfectly capturing the excitement, which can feel as surreal as a waltz among the stars, and the quiet tragedy of a fleeting romance. The film's epilogue cleverly offers the audience a glimpse at an alternate, more typically Hollywood ending, before pulling back to reality. The picture suggests that big dreams are unattainable without a reasonable amount of compromise.

Emma Stone is sweet, fun, and heartbreaking as Mia, perfect for the part in both the physically demanding song and dance numbers, and the quieter somber moments of the narrative. Building upon his cool guy persona, Ryan Gosling is extraordinarily charming as Sebastian, convincingly passionate whenever Sebastian speaks about jazz and its importance. Together, Stone and Gosling are absolutely magnetic, equal parts adorable, hilarious, and tragically sweet. The film also features acclaimed recording artist John Legend as Sebastian's friend Keith, Rosemarie DeWitt as Sebastian's concerned sister, and character actor J.K. Simmons in a small but amusing turn as a disgruntled restaurant owner.

Technically impressive and an absolute delight, La La Land is a classic-style Hollywood musical behind a starkly modern lens. The film has some poignant things to say about the value of holding onto one's dreams and the reality of accepting compromise. It's one of the rare films that should be a surefire crowd-pleaser for dreamers and cynics alike.


FRAGMENTS
- Written by director Damien Chazelle 2010, film studios were not interested producing La La Land until Chazelle's Whiplash proved to be a success

- Emma Watson and Miles Teller were originally set to play the Mia and Sebastian but scheduling conflicts (Watson) and unsuccessful contract negotiations (Teller) lead Chazelle to recast the roles

MCU CONNECTIONS

- J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home)

Hidden Figures

HIDDEN FIGURES
2016 | Dir. Theodore Melfi | 127 Minutes

"Separate and equal are two different things. Just 'cause it's the way, doesn't make it right."

After Russia successfully launches a satellite into space, NASA Langley Research Center computer Katherine Goble is transferred from the segregated West Area Computers division to the all-white, predominantly male Space Task Group. Despite Goble's extraordinary mathematical talent, her new colleagues discriminate against her in both subtle and blatant ways. Dorothy Vaughan, fulfilling the duties of a supervisor at the West Area Computers division without the appropriate title or compensation, requests to be officially promoted to supervisor but is constantly denied by NASA management as the facility prepares to install a brand new IBM console. Aspiring engineer Mary Jackson goes to court to fight for the right to attend classes at the University of Virginia in order to apply for NASA engineering positions for which she is already more than qualified.

Adapted from Margot Lee Shetterly's non-fiction book Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race, Theodore Melfi's picture is a thorough examination of the prejudice faced by perhaps the most brilliant women who worked for NASA during the Cold War. Hidden Figures is centered mostly on the struggles of Katherine Goble but the feature also weaves the hardship experienced by Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson into its narrative. Heavy-handed in some instances but always captivating, the film covers a broad range of civil rights issues, from the absurdity of maintaining segregated restrooms to the institutionalized denial of opportunities to persons of color. Following an impassioned speech from Goble explaining how she must travel far from her desk to find a restroom she is allowed to use, in an incredibly dramatized but very effective scene, STG director Al Harrison takes a crowbar to a "Colored Ladies Room" sign,  knocking it down and declaring that "Here at NASA, we all pee the same color."

The film features a trio of fantastic performances from Taraji P. Henson, the always excellent Octavia Spencer, and singer-turned-actress Janelle Monáe as Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson respectively. Henson plays Katherine as a soft-spoken but absolutely brilliant woman whose frustrations are just boiling under the surface. Spencer is a pleasure to watch as Vaughan, delivering some of the best lines of the film whether imparting wisdom onto her children or addressing the passive racism of Kirsten Dunst's passively racist computer group supervisor Vivian Mitchell. Monáe is radiant as the forward-thinking Jackson, a woman who never passes up an opportunity to speak her mind. The film also features the ever-reliable Kevin Costner as STG director Al Harrison, The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons as spiteful STG head engineer Paul Stafford, Glen Powell as legendary astronaut John Glenn, Mahershala Ali as Katherine Goble's eventual husband Jim Johnson, and Olek Krupa as Jackson's engineering mentor Karl Zielinski.

A well-crafted film centered on three lesser known heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, NASA, and space flight, Hidden Figures skillfully tells the stories of Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. The feature is elevated by an excellent cast and does a fantastic job in promoting the importance of fostering diversity and STEM education among everyone without discrimination.


FRAGMENTS
- Set at NASA in 1961, the film depicts segregated facilities however, segregated facilities were abolished in 1958 when NACA reorganized into NASA

- In reality, Dorothy Vaughan was promoted to supervisor of West Computing in 1949, over a decade before the film's 1961 setting

- Also before the film's 1961 setting, Mary Jackson completed her engineering courses and earned a promotion to engineer in 1958, becoming NASA’s first black female engineer

- The character of Al Harrison was created to simplify the complex management structure of the Space Task Group

- The characters of Vivian Mitchell and Paul Stafford are composites of several NASA staff members

- The character of Karl Zielinski is based on Mary Jackson's real life mentor Kazimierz "Kaz" Czarnecki

- Janelle Monáe and Mahershala Ali also appear in Moonlight, also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2017

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Mahershala Ali (Eric Brooks in Blade)