The Florida Project
Composite Score: 86.6
Starring: Brooklyn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Willem Dafoe, Christopher Rivera, Josie Olivo, Valeria Cotto, Patti Wiley, and Sandy Kane
Director: Sean Baker
Writers: Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch
Genres: Drama, Coming of Age
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout, disturbing behavior, sexual references, and some drug material
Box Office: $10.95 million worldwide
My take on Watching This Film:
The Florida Project is Sean Baker’s film about the residents of a budget motel just outside the “Disney bubble” in Orlando, focused on a 6-year-old girl Moonee (Brooklyn Prince), her friends, her mom Halley (Bria Vinaite), and the motel manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe). It’s a film about summertime, friendship, and the innocence of childhood juxtaposed against the struggles of poverty and the systemic and personal issues that keep people there. It’s a deeply impactful film, thanks in large part to the performances from the three central actors who play well with the reality of life that they’ve been tasked with portraying. Vinaite plays Halley with an almost villainous bent toward self-destruction that’s equal parts infectious and pitiable, creating a character that you can’t help but hate and also feel incredibly sorry for. Prince’s Moonee is the heart of the film and also the eyes of the audience, sometimes understanding things beyond her years, at others acting exactly as you’d expect a 6-year-old with no supervision and also a cursory knowledge of Disney World to behave. It’s a wonderful child performance that feels incredibly authentic and holds your attention and eventually sympathy as her world begins to unravel and she starts to learn more about her reality than any child at that age deserves. The film’s final enigmatic and fantastical moments are brought home with incredible weight thanks to her strong portrayal of the overwhelming nature of the world for someone so young. Alongside these two basic rookies is Willem Dafoe back at the height of his craft, playing the motel manager in one of the most transformational performances I’ve ever witnessed. It’s hard to separate Willem Dafoe from his characters oftentimes because of his unique look and sound, and while he still looks and sounds as he always does, with Bobby, he plays maybe the most human character he’s ever been, struggling to juggle his real responsibility for the motel and its financial well-being with his sense of responsibility for the motel’s residents, especially its children. Every moment we get with Bobby feels like some of the best scenes of the last ten years simply because of how much sincerity Dafoe brings to the character. The heaviness of the film’s subject matter won’t necessarily lend itself to being a film that everyone wants to watch all the time, but it’s undeniably great as a reminder of the needs within our society that highlights the humanity of everyone. The Florida Project benefits from strong performances and an original story as it highlights the realities of childhood and poverty alongside one another on its way to cementing a spot among the greats. Some of the scenarios can be pretty heavy, and some viewers might not be able to stomach the realities that they’re witnessing, but it’s so necessary and beautiful as films go. Currently, you can stream this film on Max if you’d like to check it out.
