And Bria Vinaite, who had not acted before, pulls off an incredibly difficult role as Halley. Willem Dafoe gives a vivid yet understated performance as the motel manager, a decent man who is patient with Moonee and even with Halley, always behind on her rent.īrooklynn Prince, who has had some acting experience in small parts, is amazingly natural as Moonee. The constantly moving camera reflects the restless energy of Moonee and her friends.Īnd non-actors blend more seamlessly with professionals here. Shot on film as well as digital, it captures the sunny, confectionary, retro look of the motels. The Florida Project is far better made, though. The film was never as effective as its concept and never entirely overcame the often stilted delivery of its non-professional cast.Īs with Tangerine, a whiff of self-importance wafts from The Florida Project – it’s quite proud of itself for tackling a tough subject – and this time adds a layer of earnestness. That 2015 film earned critical points for having been shot on an enhanced iPhone and for its heroines, two transgender sex workers played by trans women who had not acted before. Still, Baker keeps piling on scenes after he has made his point about both Moonee’s resilience and the dangers she is oblivious to, from the cars that race by as she plays along the highway to her own mother’s nonchalance.īaker’s fifth feature, The Florida Project follows his highly praised – I’d argue overpraised – Tangerine. The three friends screech endlessly and are so hyperactive it’s as if their ice cream was laced with amphetamines. The names Moonee, Scootee and Jancey try too hard to be cute. But despite a few comic, smart-mouthed remarks from Moonee, that connection registers as either an unrealised goal or pure public relations spin. The kids spend their summer days running through strip-mall parking lots, begging strangers for change so they can share an ice cream cone, and amusing themselves by spitting from the motel balcony onto cars below.īaker has said he sees the film as a modern day Little Rascals,doing for the economic crash of 2008 what that old movie series did during the Great Depression, with prankish kids making audiences laugh. Moonee’s best friends are Scootee and Jancey, whose families also live in single motel rooms. Her behaviour is just as loud and out-of-control as her child’s. The mother has giant roses tattooed below her neck, and vivid green streaks in her hair. It sees the world through the eyes of Moonee, a rambunctious six-year-old who lives at The Magic Castle with her mother, Halley. The film’s most distinctive feature also becomes a big problem.
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