Moonlight is the story of Chiron (nicknamed Little) told in three parts. Part one shows him as a child struggling to fit in, part two shows him as a teenager working to discover who he is, and part three explores his life as an adult. Its story is paced well, and although it isn't the most complicated story, the movie was engaging and rarely got boring. The writers took chances, such as only having Chiron speak periodically. They used silence very well in this movie.

The camera work was generally unimpressive, save for a few interesting uses, such as the very opening shot of the movie. The same could be said about the lighting, however this movie didn't exactly need any special lighting effects. The character driven plot and writing were more than enough to keep this movie interesting.

Barry Jenkins (director, writer) and Yesi Ramirez (casting director) did a great job mixing well known actors with less experienced ones. Mahershala Ali (House of Cards, Luke Cage, The Hunger Games), and Naomie Harris (Skyfall, Spectre, Pirates of the Caribbean) highlight a deep cast, one in which it is hard to find a weak link.

Moonlight deserves the praise it garnered at the Toronto Film Festival, where it premiered. This film tells a story which is often overlooked, and one that is important to hear.

I watched this In two sittings and was glad of the break. The three ages of the main protagonist all play their part excellently, and each in their own way shows a sadness and sense of being trapped with a secret that is unacceptable to the people around them, as a child, teenager and adult. Not a world that I've ever seen portrayed before which is why I think it is worthy of its accolades. This feels like an insider account of growing up gay in a tough neighbourhood.

Brooding, challenging and sad but well worth the watch.