The Florida Project

This is not a happy, fun film. At all. But they don't all have to be, nor should they all be fluff.

I saw it on the last day it was on Netflix and only watched it because it was the last day. Am I glad I did? I am still trying to figure that out.

It is as uncomfortable as Disney is saccharine. Oops, I mean happy.

The unique buildings on the streets, the colors all around are shown to their Sunday best in the bleak lives of the people who live near them.

Willem Defoe is, as ever, brilliant and restrained and brings humanity to the group. I wish I could say the kids bring hope, but they do not. And the helicopter, to me, brought the humor and "in your face" moments.

Would I have paid to see this film and not been mad about it? Probably - a few days after viewing it. Would I recommend it to friends who appreciate films (versus movies)? Absolutely, but with reservations.

I am not sure if I will ever know what I truly think about this film. And, frankly, that's a good thing. It made me think. It made me uncomfortable. It made me question things.

It made me very uncomfortable in my own skin. So, yes. That's a good film.

Beautifully humane film that at times recalls Italian Neo-Realism, at other times the child-based films that are so popular in Iran. That it was made in the USA, with a real if humble budget, seems surprising and is a testament to the commitment of the filmmakers.

Subtly going back and forth between the perspectives of the child and adult characters, the film has, at times, an almost magical realist vibe, though nothing remotely supernatural or surreal transpires. Indeed, this is a film steeped in harsh reality, but also one that captures the almost mystical sense of discovering life on the part of the children and sometimes, momentarily at least, even the adults.

On the other hand, the film also offers a very visceral sense of the stress of trying to survive amidst the scarcity of the margins of American capitalism.

The acting is incredible, all the more so given that, with the very notable exception of Willem Dafoe, the performers are all either non- actors or unknowns.

This film immerses us into the world of lower-class people in Florida who ironically are staying in a cheap hotel next to of Disneyworld, where a set of four magic band bracelet tickets goes for $1600. There are excellent performances all around, especially from Brooklynn Prince, who plays a tough, mouthy, and yet sweet little girl with an arresting honesty. The character is just six but in many ways seems older, growing up too quickly while left mostly on her own to roam around with her friends.

It doesn't take long to feel sorry for the children in this situation, with no structure or guidance, and horrible role models. In ten years we can easily imagine the little girl grown up to be a similar mother, and ten years ago we can imagine how the mother must have grown up. Without even a hint of this message from director Sean Baker, who shows masterful restraint, we see how hard it is for someone to rise out of the lower class or a difficult upbringing - not impossible, but not easy. The film may be an ink blot test though, because I can also imagine the response of them getting what they deserve, since the mom doesn't get a job as others around her do, runs scams, and resorts to prostituting herself, and I have to say, feeling empathy for her is a real test. Just watching how poorly she behaves is one of the turn-offs to the film, even if it's honest.

The little girl is easy to feel sorry for because she's still just six; this is what happens with awful parents. But the mother was also likely brought up in a difficult environment, so the film begs the question of what to do about vicious cycles like this while wisely not attempting to answer it. Instead it just gives us reality, as cringe-inducing as it may be at times.

I loved how it was edited, with cuts tending to shorten scenes. I think that was a wise move, since a lot of the film is simply showing us a series of vignettes without the machinations of a big plot, and this kept it from lagging. I also loved the character Willem Dafoe played - what a tough job he has, and yet he's a model of empathy and kindness, an absolute angel under the façade of a grizzled hotel manager, never judging anyone. He plays the part perfectly too, without embellishing it with sweetness or anything that doesn't feel completely authentic. How it resolves is great too, because you can see both the tragedy and the need for it, after everything we've seen.

My wife and I watched this movie at home on DVD from our public library. The writer/director mentions in the DVD extras that he is a long time fan of the old "Little Rascal" films and making this movie his focus similarly was on the kids and what they do during the summer without supervision.

Back in 1992 writer/director Robert Rodriguez as writer/director/editor gave us "El Mariachi" made for a mere $7000. This little movie has similarities, in fact some scenes were filmed using a phone, the writer/director rewrote some of the story during filming, and was the editor. Overall a fine effort, made to bring to light the plight of the near homeless, those families living in cheap motels in the Florida area near Disney World.

To me the real star is first time actress Bria Vinaite as Halley, a single mom with a daughter maybe 6 or 7. The writer says she would have had her daughter when she was perhaps only 15 and has had to figure out how to keep a roof over their heads. As probably most would do in a strictly survival mode her actions stray way off the line of good morality and her mouth is filthy as they come. She finds a variety of ways, some legal, to make money each week.

In a good role for him Willem Dafoe is Bobby, the manager of the motel. He clearly gets frustrated with the antics of the kids, and always having to remind Halley that the week's rent is due, but he also has a soft heart for all of them. He is perhaps the only father figure Halley ever had.

There is also a short scene with little kids playing and an older man approaches them. Bobby is on a tall ladder painting, quickly jumps into action and prevents what might have become an ugly situation and muscles the man away.

Much of the movie is hard to watch because we understand that, even though this is fiction, it mirrors reality very closely. This movie was made about Florida, you could probably make a similar one in every large community, including the one where I live in Texas.

Many years ago I remember being in a shop where a rough-as-stones mother was there with a 5 or 6 year old girl who was so well spoken and friendly that I barely believed they were together. A bit snobbish of me, but at the time I felt for the child as I assumed her path was more or less chosen for her. Life is not as simple as that, and it wasn't fair of me to judge, but it is a memory recovered while watching this film. The Florida Project takes us into a motel mostly housed by those down on their luck (to say the least). We go there via the perspective of the child Moonee, who mostly runs around with other children while her mother Halley smokes and lies around. Money comes from stripping when she can, but mostly from selling knock-offs to tourists. For Moonee though, it is a world of wonder and color.

It is important to say that it does this in a way that is very slow, and does spend a bit too long lingering in some scenes or ideas. This makes the film a bit harder for those (like myself) expecting something with more purpose, but if you know this then it is easy to go with it and be engaged by what it does. The film enjoys the nostalgic playing and fun of the children, and doesn't push the sadness of the situation. Likewise the extent of the poverty and desperation are not directly shown or labored other than the way a child would observe them. The personal drama plays out though, and in the end it is a depressing film for how it does come over as very real - and ultimately how Moonee probably doesn't have that bright future that she deserves; not to say people cannot escape poverty - but there is almost nothing here to help them do it.

The performances are strong through, which is important for a film which spends so long letting the characters just be on camera. Prince is as good as everyone says she is; utterly convincing and challenging. Dafoe is the only real 'name' in the film, but he doesn't let that be what he is there for, and he is an engaging presence. Vinaite is very good as Halley - had the performance come from an established actress then this would have been Oscar material; I wonder if her tattoos etc made people assume that she was essentially just doing what came naturally? Regardless she is nuanced, unsympathetic, but yet human - the film doesn't pander or patronize her.

The Florida Project is not an easy sell as a film, and it is perhaps a bit too slow for its own good, but it has a heart and honesty that make it work. The performances are natural and convincing throughout, and the film allows the child's wonder and fun come through, while never denying the depressing and oppressive reality of it all.