Director: Barry Jenkins
Year Released: 2016
Rating: 3.0
Chronicles three sections of the life of a sad, confused boy named Chiron growing up in Miami with his crack-addict mother: in part one, he's bullied and seeks fatherly guidance from a surprisingly empathetic drug dealer, in part two he has his first sexual experience with another boy on a beach (and is taunted by other students in high school) and in the last part he's evolved into the persona of "Black," a muscle-bound drug dealer. One could make the argument that Chiron's pre-teen and teen forms are too inert and quiet to properly identify with, although speaking from experience I'd like to note that anyone who's ever worked with at-risk students knows this is exactly how many of them behave (shutting down almost completely, running from problems) - the development into "Black" is a massive transition, but as his scenes progress, you can see the pain behind the sculpted form and grills (especially when he reunites with his first love). Jenkins' work with a largely nonprofessional cast gives it a natural, often awkward feel: Pasolini would be delighted.
