It is pretty difficult to explain “The Florida Project” to someone without diluting its pure brilliance and at the same time avoiding being overly emotional. A film like this comes around rarely. When judged by its plot description alone, this film misses the mark quite drastically. It is the individual elements of the movie that combine to create something much greater than the sum of its parts. The film manages to capture you completely and then just like that, it refuses to let go. “Moonlight,” the Best Picture winner of last year had the same brilliance as this film, which is achieved through wonderful specificity. It captures the all-too-familiar story of a single mother and her child that are struggling to make ends meet, but does so with a level of detail and specificity that makes the narrative stand out. Sean Baker, the one who co-wrote and directed the film, so carefully depicts the rough edges of the characters’ lives. This is the honesty that adds power to “The Florida Project.” It is realistic in a way that a film rarely manages to be. This movie deserves all the attention because it is not only among the best in the year, but it may also be one of the greatest films.
The Magic Castle motel is the type of place that most people just overlook as they drive straight to Magic Kingdom. Set amongst a row of inexpensive motels, gun shops, souvenir stores, and numerous other businesses, this particular motel caters to all sorts of people: tourists who are after a bargain (or, in one of the movie’s funniest scenes, wrongly reserving the right hotel) and the working class who have practically begun treating it as long term accommodation. The first people he wants us to meet are his child protagonists and best friends Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and Scooty (Christopher Rivera). They are heading towards a nearby motel to spit on a car from the balcony. It’s just one of those silly things children do to pass the time. Only this time, it’s just another day at the happiest place on Earth. Following the car owner’s violent outbursts, Moonee and Scooty drag their sweet new accomplice, Jancey (Valeria Cotto), into the mix.
That is, as we have just pointed out, yet another instance where ‘The Florida Project’ is difficult to articulate. The exploits of those highly imaginative children living in a ramshackle motel will not win many admirers, and would seem to be extremely insensitive portrayal of youth and poverty in America, what is often referred to as quintessentially ‘Hollywood’, which is anything but’. Yet, Baker is not guilty of this shred of contempt for his audience. The most striking aspect of ‘The Florida Project’ is how masterfully and intricately the various pieces of the puzzle come together.
There’s a bit of an adventure in Moonee’s life as she sets out to explore each new day, but Baker makes it a point not to romanticize it too much. We’re practically on a rollercoaster ride of the daily lives of a funny and creative kid. There’s just nothing special about Moonee’s life in typical movie ways. Moonee is unlike other kids in that she is able to gain joy from the most mundane activities such as turning off the power of an entire motel just to see what happens, or even making noises into an oscillating fan. He is able to understand that as a child, it is quite easy to romanticize her existence whilst making her into a cliche of a wide eyed innocent in Hollywood. The truth is, Moonee is far more advanced than the majority of adults that surround her. All she really wants is to have fun. It goes without saying that Baker was lucky to find a future star in Brooklynn Prince, who’s one of the best child actors we’ve seen in years. She is so completely compelling in her performance that you forget Moonee is just a character in a movie.
Later in the film, we see Moonee’s mother, Halley (Bria Vinaite), socially and economically struggling in “The Florida Project”. She misses the mark on rent payment, can’t secure a suitable job, and even resorts to selling perfume around the parking lots of more luxurious hotels situated in Orlando. Sadly, these efforts do not amount to sufficient funds needed to provide for the family or pay for living accommodation. Someone else who senses that Moonee and Halley are good, yet vulnerable, people is Bobby, the manager of the hotel, performed impeccably by Willem Dafoe. This marks one of Dafoe’s best roles in what has been a long and quite memorable career. Similar to Moore’s story, Bobby’s parts in the movie have a long gap, but his knowledge of building character allows him to use every little detail to create a fully dimensional figure. This wonderful actor is left with no choice but to witness the hundreds of Moore’s and Halley’s who pour into his motel; however, he is still able to maintain a certain level of disconnect from the lives of the renters. It is a beautiful modulated piece of work.
The Florida Project has the central premise of looking deeper into the nature of life and everything surrounding it. Moonee has seemed to be on repeat mode throughout the film. There are numerous instances of Moonee having the same day over and over again such as going to her mom’s friend’s restaurant for breakfast, getting some ice cream, and selling perfume to tourists. These presumably fictitious events serve to enhance the authenticity of Baker’s story. Additionally, we see Bobby constantly remodeling the motel or hawking away at his computer. While the characters embody different personas, they don’t seem overly romantic or animated. It’s almost paralyzing how there is utter harmony between those two extremes and it is precisely what makes the movie powerful. The film’s ending is in fact its most unforgettable aspect as it is very striking.
Some of our greatest films achieve their greatness by giving insightful look and in depth analysis of the characters who feel completely fully-realized and three-dimensional. Chiron from “Moonlight” doesn’t seem foreign to us and neither does Lee from “Manchester by the Sea.” Bobby, Moonee and Hailey show the same sense of lifelikeness people beyond the films that are made about them. This sort of makes one want to stop the next time they find themselves somewhere near Magic Castle and perhaps examine carefully the lives that people live over there. It seems to require something very artistic for one to actually alter the way in which the world views people. “The Florida Project” is artistic, Indeed.
To watch more movies like The Florida Project (2017) visit 123movies.
Also watch for more movies like:
