Film: "The Florida Project"
Warm, winning and gloriously alive, this is a deeply moving and unforgettably poignant look at childhood.
Set at a budget motel just outside Disney World, indie wunderkind Sean Baker’s (Tangerine) sun-drenched depiction of childhood on the margins has fierce energy, evoking a young girl’s vision of adventure and endurance beyond heartbreak. The performances in this film are astonishing—particularly Willem Dafoe’s against-type turn as a kindly motel manager.
Despite her cramped life at “The Magic Castle,” the precocious six-year-old Moonee has no trouble filling each day with mischief and adventure as she and her ragtag playmates fearlessly explore the utterly unique world into which they’ve been thrown. Unbeknownst to Moonee, however, her delicate fantasy is supported by the toil and sacrifice of her rebellious young mother, who is forced to explore increasingly dangerous possibilities to provide for her daughter. D: Sean Baker, US, 2017, Runtime: 1h51m