Directed by up-and-comer Sean Baker, this film is both a vibrant celebration of childhood and a starkly honest look at American poverty. The film has that classic indie-film feel, with music only punctuating the opening credits and the very last minute. However, the story is not lacking in drama or acting chops: As Moonee, a precocious 6-year-old living with her deadbeat mom in a long-term-stay motel in Florida, young Brooklynn Prince carries the film with her ragtag self-assuredness and impressively effortless screen presence, and works wonderfully with cult-favorite Willem Dafoe. With stunning cinematography, fabulous performances, and harshly painful realities, The Florida Project probably won’t brighten up your day, but it is absolutely worth the watch.
Reviewed | ‘The Florida Project’
Director Sean Baker’s Film About U.S. Poverty