Oscar Buzz: ‘Moonlight’: To Be a Black Gay Man in America
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great film
NobodyReally
Superstar
This was pretty damn good.
The acting, directing, and dialogue were very visceral in a way that you don't see a lot. This isn't really a gay movie per se, rather it's a movie about different perceptions, performance, hearsay, and lived experiences of black masculinity. They showed enough variety and nuance to push beyond stereotypes and really connect to the humanity of Chiron's struggle to find who he was in the world.
That being said, I do see the critique of it being like 'Precious', in that many of the characters are shades of popular images we see attributed to the "black plight". It doesn't make the story any less compelling, or even true though. Just like 'Precious', I'm sure there are people who live these horrible lives and their experiences and struggles in finding themselves as a individual are made even more difficult because of their horrible circumstances. And their stories deserve to be told too. But I'm just a little disappointed that the first really well made film of this nature had to include all of these horrible circumstances and people. I think when filmmakers do that it also subtly implies that their dysfunctional environment somehow is tied to whatever part of the character's identity they're exploring. And I'd hate for someone to walk away from this film thinking if Chiron had grown up in a two parent drug-free black home, he wouldn't be gay or he wouldn't have struggled with his sexuality. I'm sure someone walked away thinking that though because all of those things were linked to his struggle here.
Anyway, aside from that very personal gripe, I really loved it, just for amount of reflection that so obviously went into the way it was written and shot.
9 out of 10 for me.
The acting, directing, and dialogue were very visceral in a way that you don't see a lot. This isn't really a gay movie per se, rather it's a movie about different perceptions, performance, hearsay, and lived experiences of black masculinity. They showed enough variety and nuance to push beyond stereotypes and really connect to the humanity of Chiron's struggle to find who he was in the world.
That being said, I do see the critique of it being like 'Precious', in that many of the characters are shades of popular images we see attributed to the "black plight". It doesn't make the story any less compelling, or even true though. Just like 'Precious', I'm sure there are people who live these horrible lives and their experiences and struggles in finding themselves as a individual are made even more difficult because of their horrible circumstances. And their stories deserve to be told too. But I'm just a little disappointed that the first really well made film of this nature had to include all of these horrible circumstances and people. I think when filmmakers do that it also subtly implies that their dysfunctional environment somehow is tied to whatever part of the character's identity they're exploring. And I'd hate for someone to walk away from this film thinking if Chiron had grown up in a two parent drug-free black home, he wouldn't be gay or he wouldn't have struggled with his sexuality. I'm sure someone walked away thinking that though because all of those things were linked to his struggle here.
Anyway, aside from that very personal gripe, I really loved it, just for amount of reflection that so obviously went into the way it was written and shot.
9 out of 10 for me.
I was afraid that Chiron was going to be sexually abused and that the take away would be that sex abuse was why he was gay.
It made me nervous through the entire first 2 acts even as I was enjoying it. I'm so glad they didn't go that route and taint the films lastinf impression.
I can see how abuse or neglect in general might get some to say it influenced his sexuality but that point is far more muddled without the hook of sexual imprinting that usually convinces so many people that homosexuality is the result of rape or molestation.
NobodyReally
Superstar
Same here. I was really worried that the older guy that befriended him was gonna somehow end up molesting him. I'm so so glad they didn't go there. Speaking of that guy,
did they ever explain where he went? Did he die or was his absence an implication that he was dead or in jail? Also, do you think Chiron killed that bully. He looked knocked the fukk out like borderline dead.
And I think the idea of him going a full decade without touching another man is incredible. I know the movie was trying to imply that he had created walls so high he'd completely submerged his identity, but it made me wonder if he was demisexual or perhaps even asexual.
And I think the idea of him going a full decade without touching another man is incredible. I know the movie was trying to imply that he had created walls so high he'd completely submerged his identity, but it made me wonder if he was demisexual or perhaps even asexual.
There's that kind of dread that is is so prevalent, in a movie with so much suffering and young males without traditional role models, like 'Beasts Of No Nation', it's also that the movie is incredible at creating tension and that haunting shadow of pain and redemption. The scenes where he's talking to Kev in the hall at at school, that sexually explicit conversation with a lot of foreshadowing too.....
In regard to Juan, when the two kids are harassing Chiron the night after he was at Theresa's....'Juan been dead awhile now' and also imply she's a prostitute....(Also that kid with the dreads was clearly repressed gay too, imo) or the movie was showing that kind of perverse sick masculinity, but I think the former.
On the movies final scene, such a powerful and relatable one, on just the human level, thinking not just about the film, but a woman I knew 10 years ago, with who I had that same kind of intimacy and connection they share, what we all want as people, understanding, love.....I saw her a week or so ago, and had the longest conversation we'd had in 10 years, obviously there were others after her, but none like that, so the kind of themes of unrequitted love and the bonds we share, and may never fully break were heavy on my mind. The kind of person who still makes your heart race a decade later, and all the agony and bittersweetness of how things are years removed from your time together.
In regard to Juan, when the two kids are harassing Chiron the night after he was at Theresa's....'Juan been dead awhile now' and also imply she's a prostitute....(Also that kid with the dreads was clearly repressed gay too, imo) or the movie was showing that kind of perverse sick masculinity, but I think the former.
On the movies final scene, such a powerful and relatable one, on just the human level, thinking not just about the film, but a woman I knew 10 years ago, with who I had that same kind of intimacy and connection they share, what we all want as people, understanding, love.....I saw her a week or so ago, and had the longest conversation we'd had in 10 years, obviously there were others after her, but none like that, so the kind of themes of unrequitted love and the bonds we share, and may never fully break were heavy on my mind. The kind of person who still makes your heart race a decade later, and all the agony and bittersweetness of how things are years removed from your time together.
I don't think Theresa was really a prostitute, they was just dissing her cuz they knew she was like a second mother to Chiron (then they dissed his mom who really had sex for money)
Naw the dreadhead bully wasn't gay...he was just a knucklehead who picked on weaker kids....during that scene before he pointed out Chiron for Kevin to knock out, he was bullying other kids too (knocking the books out of one dude's hands)
I thought the same, regarding Theresa......There's a few scenes that led me to that opinion, he's constantly leering at Chiron, there's a scene in the classroom where Chiron catches him gazing at him from across the room. The scene with Kev, where he recruits him for 'knock down stay down?"....There are some very homosexual undertones to the whole conversation, if I am not mistaken he references the 4 of them in the room 'exploring their sexuality' while pre adolescents.....then he segues into the knock down game. Another scene where they jam him up, (the Juan reference) he says something like 'I'm not a fakkit, but I'd give you more then you can handle', that's all I remember off the top of my head....but to me, that's a petty compelling list of self loathing in the closet behavior.
SilverSamurai
All Star
Juan passed away in between the two acts. The bully mentioned it early on. About his condition, it was never mentioned.
This movie wasn't as bad as Precious to me simply because I could relate to a lot of things that happened in Moonlight....Precious was a straight up horror flick.....to the point where it seemed like they just wanted to top the next scene to show you how worse it can get for her...from molestation to being exposed to HIV
In Moonlight, nothing was a reach imo because I grew up in a similar environment...in inner city areas, too many boys deal with similar situations as Chiron .....they might not be gay and their mom might not be as messed up, but they can relate to a lot of his issues growing up....unfortunately, movies about middle-class blacks are usually comedies....a director will have to come with a good script to make it compelling and really touch people...
It's a decent film... by no means a GREAT film. I felt the whole "Brokeback Mountain" storyline was a bit too forced, especially the 3rd act being totally rushed. I would of preferred it being more strictly a conflict between dealing with his crack whorish mother, Cottonmouth's being his adopted father figure despite him being slightly responsible for his mother being a crack whore, and struggling to find his own identity which leads to him becoming a homosexual. And I believe it TRIED to do it, but drops the ball by making it a gay love story instead being strictly a black person dealing with finding his identity (which in this film never was fully resolved).
HDKG_
All Star
i went to see this with no idea of what it was about 
. I seen nikka with gold teeth and that it had cottonmouth in it so I was like 
this might be good. Boy was I in for a surprise 
. It was a decent movie I guess. Whoever played the main in the second act was a good actor tho. Made u truly feel bad for him. And I agree that the end was rushed but at least it aint get too 
at the end. so i was happy with that
Cottonmouth bout to take hollywood by storm tho 
. I seen nikka with gold teeth and that it had cottonmouth in it so I was like this might be good. Boy was I in for a surprise . It was a decent movie I guess. Whoever played the main in the second act was a good actor tho. Made u truly feel bad for him. And I agree that the end was rushed but at least it aint get too at the end. so i was happy with that Cottonmouth bout to take hollywood by storm tho 
@Gil Scott-Heroin
Taking my Jamaican chick to go see this tonight.
I already know she gon be
the whole time
Taking my Jamaican chick to go see this tonight.
I already know she gon be
the whole time
