I don’t think there is another way to explain this movie better than this metaphorical dialogue. The story revolves around easy going kids, their friendships and the messed up grownups. The kids do not exactly behave like kids their age but more precocious and mature and it is because of their ambience and the way they were brought up. They swear and they flip and they annoy people yet it’s funny and cute. They all live in a motel near the famous 'Disney world' and the motel manager Bobby played by Willem Dafoe.You may have come across poor establishments near famous tourist spots and you can get to see lots of kids who have no care in the world, enjoying their lives and what little they have. This is one of those motels. It shows us the minority groups like homeless people, paycheck people, and poor white people or “white trash” as they are called. (whom never had any screen space in Hollywood) And this movie done a great job doing it in a realistic way. All of it seen from a kid’s point of view. One of the kids is Moonie. Moonie is a 6 year old kid who lives with her young mother Halley who was knocked up at a very young age. So she’s not exactly Moonie’s mother more like her sister. She is a shitty mother who does things with the presence of her child she shouldn’t be doing and a very messed up person. We are given a glimpse of what Moonie may become in future. Sean Baker didn’t wanna throw this in our face though, he just showed it the way it is. He tried to show it realistically. She can’t be a mother even though she loves her kid dearly.
Like The recurring bath scene with Moonie is a perfect example of visual filmmaking that wouldn’t happen this easy without the help of a cinematographer. The cinematography is brilliant in this movie. You will feel like some scenes were shot when the director and cinematographer sneaked in the motel and shot them. That is how much the movie has life in it. It deserves lot of awards and it is a pity it got snubbed at the Oscars. But what can we say, it’s the Oscars. Lot of the shots are below the eye level and in lower angles so we see what the kids see. The contrast and colours are great. The story happens i summer, a slice of life where the audience are brought to the motels of Florida for a summer. You get the warm colourful tones of the camera. Editing is Crisp. Sean baker himself edited the film.
The cast is perfect. Especially Willem Dafoe. He did an excellent job and his acting was great. Especially in the last scenes when he was emotionally and mentally oscillating and and when he emoted his inefficiency to act upon that sad Situation. And we also get to have a subtle display of his broken marriage life when he have a small encounter with his son. And that show his care for the kids in the motel. He links everyone living in the motel. I even imagined a TV series with him as a manager and how he manages to meet different kinda people in his motel. Sounds great, right? (At least to me). The playful Brooklyn, the k who played Moonie, and did an outstanding job with this being her first movie. Especially the last scene and a couple of others I won’t spoil. She actually lived as Moonie. Bria, who played Halley, is an Instagram fame and she was cast because of her carefree attitude in her posts which impersonates the character Halley. She was amazing. Another character, my favourite, is Jancey played by Valeria Cotto. She’s a redhead who is very home ridden who is transformed into a mischievous toddler like Moonie and Scooty and how she is used to the life of Florida after she joins the gang. Another thing I loved is her hair and how they used it for colour contrast in some shots. Then, of course, comes Scooty, played by Christopher rivera, who is Moonie’s best friend and partner in crime.
Music is great, very subtle, and underplayed almost 90% of the movie except for the fantasy scene. Sean Baker did a great job, the direction was tremendous in lot of scenes. WELL written dialogues which is realistic. Thanks to the contribution of Chris Bergoch. What’s best about the direction in this movie is how Sean managed to take a path that is unique and how he never followed the rules of screenplay writing. He gave us a slice of life and took us on this amazing journey. Kudos to him. Especially in the last scene and how he challenged the audience by taking us in another different direction to this fantasy world that Moonie always wanted to go to,but she can’t and she won’t in any near future. Something bad is happening and Moonie wants to escape. In reality, she can’t so what happens is just a wondrous journey of a kid. That’s her way of escape. Our fantasies and day dreams are our escapes most of the time. TMI.
I know many people hated the ending. The thing is most people watch movies so that a story is told and explained in every stage; unlike life. When we see something ambiguous in movies, we can’t take it. We won’t get enough explanation for lot of things. But that’s just life man.
The Florida project is not just a movie. The Florida Project means Disney World before it was built. It has a feel good approach to the life of marginal people from the kids point of view. It is a must watch movie.