2017’s “The Florida Project“, directed by Sean Baker.
Starring Willem Dafoe, Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Christopher
Rivera, Valeria Cotto, Aiden Malik, and Mela Murder.
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
(Willem Dafoe).
What is it about?
Set in and around a run down motel in Orlando, Florida, single
mother, Holley (Bria Vinaite) lives a hand to mouth existence, as she struggles
to raise her daughter, Moonee (Brooklynn Prince). Holley loves Moonee, but is
powerless to properly supervise her, as Moonee runs around the community with
other latchkey kids (Christopher Rivera, and Valeria Cotto) whom test
boundaries and get into mischievous adventures. Worse, she’s unwilling to fully
utilize the help of building manager, Bobby (Willem Dafoe), who operates more
as a de facto caretaker and heart and soul of the building. Will Holley be able
to siphon off some of the magic of nearby Disneyworld- or fall through the
cracks?
Why is it worth seeing?
Director Sean Baker’s The Florida Project, along with his 2015 Tangerine, depicts lower income human beings, those underdogs clawing
furiously to get by in the margins of society. For them, its always just one
more grift, just one more loan from a kind soul, some kind of a distant goal
that they need to keep in front of them, in order to cling to hope. The film’s
motel setting, essentially low income housing for those who can’t afford
monthly rent payments, here painted an unnatural lavender purple, accentuates
the perversity of living so close to the fabled Magic Kingdom- while reality
lies just down the street.
In this reality, the character of Holley (Bria
Vinaite, who was discovered on Instagram and as natural as it gets), struggles
to figure out how to pay the rent without running afoul of the law, or having
her daughter Moonee go into the foster care system. It’s a real challenge for
someone that has virtually no support network and minimal employable skills and
education- but the real magic that Baker creates is that this doesn’t qualify
as poverty porn. Instead, we see a sometimes grueling tale that explains the intersection
of community and fantasy, of child-like wonder despite life’s challenges.
In the telling of a story involving a mother who may be an unsafe caregiver, we see the emergence of child protection social work themes- but the real social worker here is Willem Dafoe’s character of Bobby. As the manager of the de facto lower income housing complex, he gives so much of himself, it’s hard not to recall his previous martyr roles, like 1986’s Platoon or 1988’s Last Temptation of Christ. Like a social worker, Dafoe’s heart is rivaled in size only by the impossibility of his situation. Bound by policies and unfortunate socio-economic situations beyond his control, he at times has to choose between keeping his job or doing the right thing, all while functioning as everything from a painter to a janitor to a babysitter. As the guy who brings the place to life, it’s an underrated and great performance, equal parts resignation and inspiration.
In the telling of a story involving a mother who may be an unsafe caregiver, we see the emergence of child protection social work themes- but the real social worker here is Willem Dafoe’s character of Bobby. As the manager of the de facto lower income housing complex, he gives so much of himself, it’s hard not to recall his previous martyr roles, like 1986’s Platoon or 1988’s Last Temptation of Christ. Like a social worker, Dafoe’s heart is rivaled in size only by the impossibility of his situation. Bound by policies and unfortunate socio-economic situations beyond his control, he at times has to choose between keeping his job or doing the right thing, all while functioning as everything from a painter to a janitor to a babysitter. As the guy who brings the place to life, it’s an underrated and great performance, equal parts resignation and inspiration.
Baker’s documentary-like style shows us the class warfare
society of the Southern United States that is so thick that it sometimes
bubbles up through the sidewalks and into the children’s naiveté- but not
before showing us some very street savvy kids, well versed in poverty and
hustles. You are your environment after all. It’s a testament to Baker’s skills
that some of us will be able to empathize with the more difficult to love
individuals represented here (the rest of the population will cast their vote
to lock these individuals in jail).
Writers Chris Bergoch and Baker’s script create a child-like
milieu that is authentic to the meandering aimlessness of life, interjected
with more adult themed encounters with landlords, police, security guards,
unhappy customers, pissed off neighbours, and the glare of tourists passing
through, and a magic that has nothing and everything to do with corporate
behemoths. More about fantasy and optimism than evidence based practice, the
film’s final shot confirms that The
Florida Project has an unexpected way of sticking to you like Florida’s
humidity.
No comments:
Post a Comment