If you are like me, I would hope you go into this film with as little information as possible. I knew something about a purple motel and very little else. That's mostly right. The setting is a unique one, something that is both escapist and tragically real. The story is from the perspective of three children spending their summer in an extended stay motel, one of those joints you see from the highway and think little of. The motel is in Florida, just outside of Disney World, and tourists drive past on their way to finer hotels and beautiful rides and food. Not our characters, and especially not our heroine, Moonnee (Brooklynn Prince). She lives with her single mother (Bria Vinaite) on the third floor of the motel. Her mother works odd jobs to make it by but mostly spends her nights partying and doing drugs. Moonee has a similar disposition - she swears, she yells, and she's out of control.
We essentially follow Moonee and her friends Jancey (Valeria Cotto) and Scooty (Christopher Rivera). They wander the grounds and spit on guests' cars. They walk several miles down the highway road to beg for free ice cream. They play on the swings and go swimming when it gets hot. They torment the motel manager, Bobby (Willem Dafoe), a stern man who nonetheless looks out for these kids and is sympathetic to their situation. These kids live poor lives, just a heartbeat away from homelessness. Do they realize this? Not at all.
The movie is memorable for its candy-colored settings. The purple motel, a large orange shop, an abandoned city of model homes in all shades of pastel pink... There is something so shocking about having such a beautiful movie set in the most dire circumstances. Perhaps this is meant to be the viewpoint of our kids. To them, the world is an insurmountable place and every day is filled with adventure. A motel like this may be a dump for a tourist, but for a kid, it's a playground of limitless options.
I mentioned how the movie starts off with such charm as we follow the kids around their day. Much of the film feels improvised, and the conversations these kids have with themselves feels so genuine. There are hints of the adult world slowly creeping in (in one of the film's most memorable moments, Bobby confronts an old man who happens to wander onto the nearby playground to chat up some kids). There are also several shots of Moonee taking a bath while listening to loud pop music. At first it's charming to see her bathe her dolls. Later we understand that there is a lot more happening just beneath the surface.
Where the kids have an idealistic life, we have two adults who help us understand the truth of it all. Bobby (Dafoe) is a character who feels lived in and assured in his job. Sure, he knows the motel is a dump, but over time we see him come to protect these kids from the dangers just beyond the fence. This is a remarkable change for Dafoe and a character that is a true hero even if his actions are what any decent person might do. Then we have Moonee's mother, Halley (Vinaite). Here is a performance that shines brightest in the film and yet I am sure many people will dismiss it as "annoying" or "shallow." Nonsense, this is a fully realized character who makes all the wrong choices in the hopes of supporting her daughter. We see her steal, solicit, drink, and get in fist fights, and even by the end of the film when her life is all but over, she has changed not a bit. This aspect is perhaps the most troubling in the film: the idea that these people are bound to a live of poverty and little can be done to break the cycle.
There are so many wondrous moments in this film that are too vast to count. It's a truly original work that has all the makings of a classic. All but one. The film concludes with a spectacular show of emotion from little Brooklynn Prince (the 7-year old star) as the reality of her world finally comes crashing down. Throughout the film, she manages to evade punishment by lying, running, swearing, and hiding. Here we see a little girl grow up before our very eyes as she says goodbye to a friend. And then... the film takes a dramatic turn, perhaps the most shocking ending of any movie I can remember. I won't spoil it, even though it's most likely a dream sequence with clear intentions. The 30-second scene is so jarring in the way it changes film format (it was filmed on the director's own iphone) and a loud, rousing soundtrack that is absent throughout the rest of the film. It's a cute way to end the film but executed so horribly that it all but left my mouth hanging open in shock. Is the idea bad? No. Could it have been better? You bet. I have read many critics and their interpretations of this ending, and I can't justify it with any shred of logic in my mind. It's a head-scratcher like nothing I have seen before.
Regardless of the bad taste left in my mouth during the final moments, this is a film that had tears flowing and my mind lighting up with the talent I was witnessing. This is a wonderful movie that speaks to the heart and shows us a world that is just down the street and yet so far away. Last year's Best Picture went to Moonlight, another Florida-based film that explored the lower classes of America. Here we see another shade, told through the eyes of kindergartners and is yet no less potent. And Brooklynn Price, how many times can I say her name? When Oscars tally the 5 best performances of the year, I hope they remember her authenticity and charm. How close this film got to being perfect, and still how great it was to have seen it at all. This is easily one of the year's best movies.
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