Now in theaters
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince
There are certain landscapes throughout the U.S. that immediately convey a sense of incomparable, inescapable poverty. Very few movies pull off being able to use these locations as a setting and noticing immediately you are in a bad place. Beasts of the Southern Wild comes to mind. Characters aren’t even needed to let the viewer no that they are looking at a genuine dump. Or at best case, a project.
The setting in The Florida Project is a series (but mainly one) of motels located just outside of Disney World property in Orlando, FL. These motels exist for two reasons. One – places for cheap families to stay when they are trying to do Disney World on a budget, and two – a home of sorts for our two main characters, Moonee and Halley.
Moonee is a 6 year old who lives with her mother, Halley (not much older than 20) in the Magic Castle hotel. Halley is far from a good mother. She goes out drinking with friends, spends money on things she shouldn’t spend money on, and does little to raise Moonee. Moonee suffers from this treatment and is pretty bad for a 6-year old. Not evil, but damn bad.
The story flows in and out of ups and downs. Any time something might seem like it could be construed as a glimmer of hope, it slaps you in the face, mocks you even. Making sure you know that people in this situation have almost no chance of escaping it. We are reminded by this constantly as the echo of gimmicky helicopter tours of Orlando are constantly heard off screen. Receiving, every time, middle-fingers from the residents of Magic Castle, Futuretown, and other residence/non-residence hotels.
Even when you get a few minutes of kids playing in a park you get the worst intruder ever dropped right into the grassy field beside an interstate. Picture it: you are watching what is obviously a depressing film and finally its just kids playing tag. Take a breath, collect yourself with what will surely be a ending that will make Manchester by the Sea look like When Harry Met Sally.
“Okay kids having fun…kids having fun..kids having f OMG THAT GUY IS BAD SOMEBODY GET HIM THE HELL OUTTA MY MOVIE.”
I mean I feel for the actor who plays the would be child molester. Because if I saw that guy at a park talking to kids I’d react the same way Willem Dafoe’s Bobby did. Needless to say, he “takes care of it.”
Speaking of Dafoe, he delivers one of his finest and definitely most understated performances in years. The onsite manager of the Magic Castle knows what’s going on even when the audience doesn’t. He still has issues, issues that are touched on just enough so you are reminded that people don’t live in these hell holes without having a reason.
Brooklyn Prince plays Moonee, our lead character if there is one. It’s another performance from a child that leaves you in awe. I have no idea how the Princes and Tremblays get it done, but I suspect it has something to do with the adult cast and the director.
Director Sean Baker makes some bold decisions here. Everyone one of them was apparent and fantastic. From Wes Anderson style framing shots, giving the dilapidated settings a disguise of the park around the corner. To leaving the film music-less in between credits, except for the mindless styles of rap that litter parking lots and swimming pools of suburban Orlando. The Florida Project is a big step forward for Baker.
Is it Watchlist-worthy? It’s one of the best of the year. An easy yes.
