The Florida Project

Most of the reviews I read before renting this movie were either very praising or disliked it very much, and I can see where both were coming from. I think your personal experience with this film depends on what kind of work you think that it is going into it. I'll tell you: this will never be a blockbuster. There are no big action scenes, there are no giant mysteries or plot twists, there is no hidden love story, it just is. There is a plot, but there aren't any sharp turns like a roller coaster. Instead, it's more like a winding road were things get better or worse but nothing comes on too suddenly, and it's a nice view along the way. This movie is realistic and it's harsh, so if you don't want to see a reality many people are living in, then this isn't for you. The story focuses on Moonee, a six year old girl who mostly runs free because her mother doesn't watch her. Terrible things happen in her world, and this movie doesn't sugarcoat them, just sweetens them as we see things through her perspective. If you are okay with mature language and themes and are willing to focus on a movie and really try to see what's behind the story, then I 100% recommend this for you.

This is a great movie, but it's not typical. It's an existential piece. There's no need for an ending because it's not something that can be wound up with a neat ribbon without breaking the honesty of it. I do think the end is tied together in a lovely way that lets the viewer imagine what might be, though some reviewers would disagree. There's no need for major theatrics- the single sex scene is only suggested, though there is some rather graphic violence. For those caught up in the morality of it, it just is. This is life for some people, and it's refreshing to see this reality on screen, to give the forgotten a voice so to speak, without making a spectacle of it. There's also the joy in the midst of desperation that is absolutely admirable. In the end, we're all just in it to survive (hopefully more, but at least). This movie creates a bit of a trinity for me, being made up of The Florida Project, Tangerine, and Moonlight. They're all tied together by presenting a version of reality that is oft forgotten, unfortunately, in a real, balanced way. I look forward to seeing more movies by Sean Baker and Barry Jenkins (Director of Moonlight).

It still remains the movie of the year after watching it last week. It could have been so easy for Sean Baker to rely heavily on the dramatic weight of this mother and daughter living in poverty, but he brilliantly chooses to see things through the innocence of being a playful child, seeing the positivity in anything and everything. In a time when things are more uncertain than ever, it's amazing to see a film like this shine through and bring out the simple beauties of life.