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Recent releases:
- Letters from Greece
- Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
- Fall Guy, The
- That They May Face the Rising Sun
- Jericho Ridge
- Civil War
- Mothers' Instinct
- Sweet East, The
- Ghost Busters: Frozen Empire
- Immaculate
Moonlight (DVD)
Stars: Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes, Janelle Monáe, André Holland
Director: Barry Jenkins
The winner of this year's Oscar for best film proves something of a disappointment. It's an OK if rather ordinary (and darkly photographed) examination of three stages in the life of Chiron, an African-American youngster living by the sea in Florida. His life, however, is far from idyllic.
A loner of few words, he's saddled with a crackhead mom (British actress Harris, totally convincing in the part) and unmercifully bullied at school. Hiding from the bullies in a deserted building, he's befriended by a local drugs dealer (Ali), who takes him under his wing and teaches him how to swim.
Full of lingering close-ups, the film proved a substantial arthouse success. In truth, though, it was nothing special for this critic, whose eyelids drooped more than once.
David Quinlan
USA 2016. UK Distributor: Altitude. Colour by Color Collective.
106 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.
Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 1, Drugs 1, Swearing 2.
Review date: 18 Jun 2017