The Florida Project (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
Oh, 'The Florida Project' (directed by Sean Baker) ... what to do with you? I liked - not loved - Baker's last film, Tangerine (the filmed-on-an-iPhone movie). That film, like this one, highlights {some say exploits} the bleak, rebellious underbelly of society; a portrait of individuals living on the fringes. There are some good performances, here. That said, I find it difficult to love a film in which the leads are as unpleasant as they are -- I have some disdain for them and, therefore, didn't feel much by the time the emotional climax strikes. 'The Florida Project' (which is what Walt Disney called Disney World before naming it so), is a study of poverty, family & personal irresponsibility that illustrates how that lifestyle can affect an impressionable 6 yr. old girl.
Set on the outskirts of Orlando/Kissimmee, this drama takes place at a gaudy, pastel-painted $35-per-night motel that is occupied by families in dire straits. The film mostly follows young Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) & her friends, as they mischievously {to put it lightly} explore the pastel world around them. Moonee is spirited, but bratty & insolent; while her volatile 20-something yr. old single mom, Halley (Bria Vinaite, discovered on Instagram) turns to black market sales, begging & prostitution to keep them afloat. Moonee whiles away the seemingly carefree days of her youth getting into trouble by emulating some of her mother's trashy behaviors; and never far from the watchful eye of Bobby (Willem Dafoe), the kind motel manager who has the patience of a saint when it comes to his inhabitants.
Gosh, time has been kind to 'The Florida Project' in my mind, for when I left the theater days ago, I felt similarly to fellow audience members who gawked "What the h*ll was that?" & "THIS got 4 stars from critics?" I disliked the lack of plot {Baker even says his film is more of a slice-of-life showcase}. I disliked the behaviors of a lot of the delinquent characters {those who laugh at buildings burning down from arson caused by Moonee}. I loathed Bria Vinaite's Halley -- while she had fleeting moments of fun/care for her daughter, she's downright awful to everyone else. The tear jerk moment near the end didn't affect me because all before it desensitized me to emotion. And the fanciful final 30 seconds didn't work for me, either.
In trying to find what many of the critics admire, I recall several moments or themes that have resonated. Since Moonee & her pals will likely never get to The Magic Kingdom {that looms nearby}, watching them try to create their own fun is somewhat endearing. I laughed at an elderly, baudy 'resident' named Gloria who insists on sitting topless at the pool {much to Bobby's chagrin}. There are quiet moments of beauty that strike here & there (a highway at sunset; some cranes walking across the grass). And I loved Bobby protectively shooing away a creepy pervert who hangs around the unsupervised children of the motel. Bobby is gruff, but a great guy; a man with morals, common sense & compassion. Dafoe is stellar. I just don't know if he's good enough to merit awards consideration.
But I return to my utter dislike of the main characters; particularly Bria Vinaite's Halley. A big kid herself, Halley teaches her young daughter to taunt authority, act self-entitled, lie to perfectly good human beings, & exploit self-pity. Now, she probably had a rough childhood & may be in the position she's in through no fault of her own. But she picks fights, steals, is rude, confrontational, & intimidating. She trashes perfectly good food because she's angry. And she slaps her used sanitary napkin on the window of someone who I had complete sympathy for -- she is INSUFFERABLE. And she made me tolerate little Moonee less than I would have. An example of Moonee's countless infuriating antics - ahem - "charms": spitting phlegm on the windshield of a woman's car.
Listen, it's unfortunate to see people fall into cycles of crime & desperation. There are millions of impoverished folks who have it rough through no fault of their own (OR their fault) that we can empathize with. But for me, the lead characters that are provided for us ... are not those people. It's hard to summon empathy. There's little context to the repetitive, shrill frivolities we endure throughout. Halley's vulgarity also dilutes the aimed-for poignancy of Moonee's character arc. Now, I admire the vibrant cinematography. It intrigued me to see that familiar Orlando milieu on the screen. And I was never bored. I only wish I cared more about our depressing, agitating leads. A shame; because there's something about the film that keeps me thinking about it -- that's never a bad thing.
Set on the outskirts of Orlando/Kissimmee, this drama takes place at a gaudy, pastel-painted $35-per-night motel that is occupied by families in dire straits. The film mostly follows young Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) & her friends, as they mischievously {to put it lightly} explore the pastel world around them. Moonee is spirited, but bratty & insolent; while her volatile 20-something yr. old single mom, Halley (Bria Vinaite, discovered on Instagram) turns to black market sales, begging & prostitution to keep them afloat. Moonee whiles away the seemingly carefree days of her youth getting into trouble by emulating some of her mother's trashy behaviors; and never far from the watchful eye of Bobby (Willem Dafoe), the kind motel manager who has the patience of a saint when it comes to his inhabitants.
Gosh, time has been kind to 'The Florida Project' in my mind, for when I left the theater days ago, I felt similarly to fellow audience members who gawked "What the h*ll was that?" & "THIS got 4 stars from critics?" I disliked the lack of plot {Baker even says his film is more of a slice-of-life showcase}. I disliked the behaviors of a lot of the delinquent characters {those who laugh at buildings burning down from arson caused by Moonee}. I loathed Bria Vinaite's Halley -- while she had fleeting moments of fun/care for her daughter, she's downright awful to everyone else. The tear jerk moment near the end didn't affect me because all before it desensitized me to emotion. And the fanciful final 30 seconds didn't work for me, either.
In trying to find what many of the critics admire, I recall several moments or themes that have resonated. Since Moonee & her pals will likely never get to The Magic Kingdom {that looms nearby}, watching them try to create their own fun is somewhat endearing. I laughed at an elderly, baudy 'resident' named Gloria who insists on sitting topless at the pool {much to Bobby's chagrin}. There are quiet moments of beauty that strike here & there (a highway at sunset; some cranes walking across the grass). And I loved Bobby protectively shooing away a creepy pervert who hangs around the unsupervised children of the motel. Bobby is gruff, but a great guy; a man with morals, common sense & compassion. Dafoe is stellar. I just don't know if he's good enough to merit awards consideration.
But I return to my utter dislike of the main characters; particularly Bria Vinaite's Halley. A big kid herself, Halley teaches her young daughter to taunt authority, act self-entitled, lie to perfectly good human beings, & exploit self-pity. Now, she probably had a rough childhood & may be in the position she's in through no fault of her own. But she picks fights, steals, is rude, confrontational, & intimidating. She trashes perfectly good food because she's angry. And she slaps her used sanitary napkin on the window of someone who I had complete sympathy for -- she is INSUFFERABLE. And she made me tolerate little Moonee less than I would have. An example of Moonee's countless infuriating antics - ahem - "charms": spitting phlegm on the windshield of a woman's car.
Listen, it's unfortunate to see people fall into cycles of crime & desperation. There are millions of impoverished folks who have it rough through no fault of their own (OR their fault) that we can empathize with. But for me, the lead characters that are provided for us ... are not those people. It's hard to summon empathy. There's little context to the repetitive, shrill frivolities we endure throughout. Halley's vulgarity also dilutes the aimed-for poignancy of Moonee's character arc. Now, I admire the vibrant cinematography. It intrigued me to see that familiar Orlando milieu on the screen. And I was never bored. I only wish I cared more about our depressing, agitating leads. A shame; because there's something about the film that keeps me thinking about it -- that's never a bad thing.