Moonlight

Strengths: Cinematography, locales, chase action, Lauren character. Weaknesses: Overdone toiletry; weak, uncomprehending dialog. This coming-of-age, diminutive waif seems too street-wise for me; stretches credibility. Pilgrimage scenes border on the ridiculous.

The guy at the videostore did not recommend it. A friend of mine did and i am glad i rented it. Afterwards the guy in the videostore confessed that he only saw the first ten minutes. Anyways, good movie, interesting subject. The kids play really good. mysterious surroundings. good camerawork. YEP! well done guys.

This is just about as bad as it gets folks. If this is 'European art' then the words 'Emperor's clothes' springs to mind. The only skill the director and producer have is to lead you along so that just as you think it can't get much worse, it does. The number of flaws in the plot is countless and I won't list them all here. The baddies drift around in their car; we are led to think they are following the two main actors, in which case why don't they just pounce. The final image of the girl, rotating as it does back and forth, summed it up for me: No one knew where this movie was going and no one knew how to finish it off. Uggh. I hope this was not made with European taxpayers money, but I have a horrible feeling it was.

Numerous American reviewers on this site reveal their limitations in their comments. A lot of what they criticize or complain about in this movie are things that take us deeper into the moment of the story that takes place in a different world than they're familiar with. I was also thrown off a bit, until I realized that this wasn't from the European world of film that I'm used to (France, Spain, Germany, Italy).

Larien (playing the main character) is brilliant. What the film does lack is over-played dumbed-down dialogue and over explanation. The settings nicely reinforce the various moods. The girl's coming of age theme is brilliantly played out with subtle and not so subtle devices.

Even when what you will see is like a smorgasbord of usually very trodden plots, Moonshine is definitely one of those films that sticks like fly-paper to your senses and mind. The story -an impossible for American films, is all sounds and visuals. Dialogue is kept to the utmost minimum. So, the many usual attractive and not-so-convincing plots employed throughout the film, mesh up perfectly.

I'd like to point out how important it is to know what you're doing when using so many clichés already used by others: here, even when you know what will happen -somehow, at least, the captivating lack communication between the main rôles and the hyper-psychological use of sound with some of the most stunning visuals I've seen simply using light and lenses the way they should be used, do the part to have you riveted to your seat.

The inherent beauty of the two kids who play very adult rôles in this coming-of-age-per-force film make it even more palatable. The music is outstanding at making your nerves spike instantly or sharply contrast with the visuals. I'd use this film to teach a thing or two about "eye- lighting" and "the importance of the way how you tell a story instead of what you tell to convey it"... the virtual absence of dialogue may be one of the most amazing feats of this film. Two thumbs up!