"The Florida Project"

When people think of Florida, they think of palm trees, beaches, Disney World, etc. Yet we usually don't look past the palm leaves to notice the real life that goes on around there. The average person making ends meet and children with very little using their imaginations to pass the time.

Moonee (Brooklynn Kimberly Prince) is a six-year-old girl who live in a budget motel along with her mother Halley (Bria Vinaite) who mostly gets by on welfare among other things. While Halley loves Moonee, her lack of good judgement, little respect for others and short temper often leads her to lashing out at those who cross her usually in the form of swearing, giving the middle finger and immature acts which Moonee imitates regularly.
Most days, she spends playing with her friends Scooty (Christopher Rivera), Dickey (Aiden Malik) and her newest friend Jancey (Valeria Cotto) as they spend their summer days daydreaming, wandering around the neighboring budget motels and commercial strips that cater to nearby Disney World and often getting themselves into trouble from their lack of supervision. Yet Bobby, the motel manager (Willem Dafoe) who comes of harsh shows kindness and looks after Moonee and her mom when they need it most.

I was very conflicted seeing this movie. Most of the time, I was in disbelief at how a six year old can have such poor manners towards adults and behave so badly while watching the mother act like a spoiled fifteen year old who thinks she can do no wrong and get whatever she wants with no consequences. Yet as the story played, you could see an innocent side to Moonee, especially when she goes exploring with her friends and it reminded you that she can only act the way she was shown to act, and how people can show their true colors when push comes to shove. As a mother, I wanted to smack Halley across the face and tell her to grow up and yet I pitied her character most of all. The film was shot straight forward making it come of as close to reality as it was portraying which made me want to keep things real and give a fair, but generous two G.M.Stars for a sweet, yet disturbing piece much like the lives being lived in the shadows of Florida.

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