While THE FLORIDA PROJECT has all the bright lush colors of Disney World, this tale is far from the magical world we associate with Disney. Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) might be living in her own happy little world, but her impoverished life is less than ideal. Moonee’s mother barely scrapes by trying to make a buck any way she can, while her daughter runs about in abandoned buildings and scavenging food with her friends. With all that being said, Moonee is still happy living carefree with the other kids who live in the rundown apartment complex, The Magic Castle, that sits just a few miles from Disney World.
Like he did with his previous film, TANGERINE, director Sean Baker once again gives voice to a part of society that is not often depicted on film. Baker has a way of showing these characters without judgment. Their lives and way of life feel so authentic that it feels like you’re watching a documentary. If it weren’t for the inclusion of Willem Dafoe as the manager of The Magic Castle – delivering one of the best performances in his career – you might think that the entire cast is made up of non-professional actors who live like this in real life.
If you didn’t know that Baker had a full script and gave directions to the kids, you would think that the child actors were improvising. There’s a real sense of danger as we watch them explore abandoned buildings and walk alone down busy streets. Young Brooklynn Prince is captivating as the leader of the pack. There’s a reckless confidence that she naturally portrays – an aspect of the character that she clearly got handed down to her from her mother.
Moonee’s mother is every inch the wild child. Covered in tattoos, dressed in clothes that barely cover her thin frame, and frequently smoking a blunt, she represents an older version of her daughter. One might see her as reckless, but on the other hand, she’s enjoying life with what little she can afford. She doesn’t have the money to buy fancy clothes or take her daughter to Disney World, but she can afford to let her daughter play with her friends while she smokes up – a vacation for her that’s affordable and attainable.
THE FLORIDA PROJECT is not an easy film to watch. There are few moments of joy in this bleak setting. Most of all, it’s hard to watch this film without feeling frustrated. Moonee is living with a desperate mother that is often negligent. Not only that, she treats her daughter like a friend, not a daughter. Baker doesn’t judge her relationship, but it’s hard to watch without passing judgment yourself. She’s a character that’s so frustrating because you want to tell her to be better, but since so many of us have never been in her situation, you can’t in good judgment chastise her.
Instead of focusing on the dirty hair and hand-me-down clothes, cinematographer Alexis Zabe lovingly presents these poor lives in a beautiful way. The purple and pink hotel buildings and clear Florida skies provide light to what could have easily been shown in a more dreary way. THE FLORIDA PROJECT is definitely not a very hopeful film as Baker hints at a cyclical world that is often hard to escape. The dream of a happily ever after isn’t always attainable. But as the film suggests throughout (and clumsily hammered home in the finale), that doesn’t mean we can’t have those brief moments where we can escape to our self-constructed fantasy worlds.
Overall score: 3.5 out of 5
THE FLORIDA PROJECT is now playing in select theaters
