Letter to the Editor / Movie Reviews- Great, but not for everyone

Two terrific films about two unusual people and their lives: AQUARIUS, and MOONLIGHT.  Each film is amazingly insightful, honest and touching.  Both individuals are riveting and intensely in the moment, but they are controlled by their haunting pasts.  Yet in obvious and superficial ways the films could not be more different – American & Brazilian, man & woman, straight & gay, black & white.  Don’t miss them – unless you are old, white, male and timid.

AQUARIUS is about an apartment and Clara, a cultured 65 year old widow in Recife, Brazil.  She is the last stubborn and passionate condo owner in a seaside building the owners want to tear down so they can develop a new property.  The actress playing Clara is captivating as she goes through her mundane activities and relationships that span 4 decades in the apartment.  It’s almost as if the audience sees her life through the eyes of her home – and it is earthy and honest.  The sound track is wonderful but, like many films today, Aquarius is about 30 minutes too long.

MOONLIGHT will probably get a lot of publicity, most of which I suspect will give the wrong impression.  This isn’t a blockbuster black movie, a gay movie, a coming of age movie and it isn’t about injustice or any specific social issue, though it does have those ingredients.  Moonlight is a touching, at times heart rending, story of an inner city boy struggling to survive against impossible odds and find his identity – who am I?  The story is told simply, tenderly, non-judgementally and brilliantly, and it reeks of authenticity.

Happy flicks,  Roger

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