Miles of Movies

                                                                                                      The Florida Project is about Moonee (Brooklynn                                                                                                  Prince), a six-year-old living with her single mother                                                                                                  Halley (Bria Vinaite) in a housing project in Florida.                                                                                                  She spends her days with other young kids in her                                                                                                    project and the surrounding projects. They get into                                                                                                  trouble and you really get to see what her life is like,                                                                                                the unique challenges she faces, and just how                                                                                                          closely she reflects her mother.

                                                                                                      The movie builds up the lifestyle of Moonee so                                                                                                  incredibly well by telling the story from her                                                                                                                perspective. So often the camera is low to the ground, curiously investigating the various situations that Moonee gets herself into. There is such an innocence to how she views the world that is starkly in contrast with what the viewer experiences. Her foul language and complete lack of respect for anyone who tries to interfere with what she wants to do is terribly sad. But the film presents it in such an innocent way that there is always a conflict. And then you meet Halley (Bria Vinaite), Moonee’s mom and all of Moonee’s behavior makes sense. Suddenly the tables turn as you start to feel terrible for Moonee and her life. The movie takes you on a journey of emotions thanks to the fantastic performances of the two leads, the addition of Willem Dafoe as the housing project manager, and a really fresh perspective. Brooklynn Prince gives the best child performance I’ve seen all year and carries so much of the movie on her shoulders. Just as good is Bria Vinaite whose entire performance as Moonee’s mom feels like it’s giving the most fiery bird at the rest of the world.

          It’s really difficult to describe what happens in the film since it really is just a slice of Moonee’s life. The journey is what’s important here as you start to see her world stitched together. The longer it goes along, the more you realize that it’s not really getting any better. It does get a little repetitive after a while though, and those with short attention spans won’t be ready to sit through the whole thing. That and an out-of-place ending are the only things that took away from the movie for me. If you’re into a slice-of-life drama told from the perspective of a low-income six-year-old with some fantastic performances, this is your movie.

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