CA Podcast #58 - The "Moonlight" Episode

oh ok. Yeah, I agree. I have a friend who says the 3rd act was his favorite because every gay man has that young crush from when they were closeted so it resonated with him. I'm like...that's fine...but it still has to make sense.

 

Word. Not sure I'm agreeing with the Precious parallel. Kinda problematic.

 

There were points I understood, but to call it the new "Precious" is disrespectful in my opinion.

 

According to Barry Jenkins, because Black is so awkward, he just didn't know how to act around other men (tell a joke) with out being aggressive. I think because of the gay undertones the viewer (myself included) was expecting something sexual because that is what we are accustomed to in Black gay media.

But again, according to the director, nothing was sexually intended about this scene.

 

He actually moved his mom's to Atlanta and got her in recovery. The treatment facility "Peachtree _____" on the name tag, is here in Georgia.

 

I'm just glad I saw a different movie then this author.

 

Maybe having to own up and admit his sexuality meant having to acknowledge he is a "fa@@ot" psychologically / mentally and that is something we don't witness him attempting to come to terms with until the 3rd act.

His whole life, his perceived sexuality has been a negative and after he had a positive sexual experience, the person he had it with almost caused him to get beat to death. Personally I just think you have a hard time empathizing because you weren't ever bullied and you didn't experience that type of trauma. That doesn't mean your observations or points are not good ones, BUT if he hasn't or doesn't frequent gay clubs, we didn't see him on the internet, and the time frame seems to be before gay apps (Like I had no idea what gay apps were before someone told me years after they were out), like what dude would just randomly approach him in public if he doesn't appear stereotypically gay? I've been in ATL since 2000 and that's never happened to me outside of the gym and there its only happened a handful of times.

As far as the review in OUT, to me dude is like me hating on Beyonce because everyone else likes her and I hate how everyone fawns over her. Look at his comment in the comments section. He thinks The Skinny, is better than Moonlight, while most of all his reviews are of white queer cinema.

 

That immediately made him lose all credibility from me.

 

Naw son, coming to terms with being bullied and fighting back is not the same thing as coming to terms with one's sexuality.

We don't know if he's been with women or not. I mean I get your points, I simply don't agree with them.

 

I can't stand it...but I agree with @Nick Delmacy

 

Sorry but in many ways this is my story. This is film based on non-fictional characters and is very similar to my personal story and I'm sure many other Black men out there.

Also, I don't find it impossible a sexually confused or repressed man can go years with out his second (or third) homosexual experience simply because how Atlanta, masculinity and how the male homosexual mind are stereotyped.

This falls into the same mindsets of those people who say, "if you're single or don't want kids, or don't want marriage, or not having a lot of sex" something must be wrong with you or they "just find it hard to believe" because a mindset or actions are different from what they consider the norm.

At first I thought the constant images of Black in bed by himself were a waste but maybe they were there to show his acceptance of solitude (albeit still possibly lonely) and to show how he has been pretty much by himself.

 

Maaaan, I tried reading the comments...but I just couldn't...

My ex thru all of my 20s did a reach around, n started jo-ing me during our senior year of hs, while we were at our other friend's house sleeping on the floor. This shyt does happen some times.

I think yall might be over reading into Chiron. He was a damaged kid who went to juve. I had 0 surprise in seeing him getting fed up, going to juve, n getting his skin thickened

My ex n I went to the same college. He tried his hardest to 'get str8' (never forget him tellin me how he hadn't watched gay porn for a whole week, smh) and then it was my turn at times. Fighting the obvious.

I just think that the evolution of Chiron, a kid who never had a damn thing, esp once Juan was gone, made sense. He went from juve, after YEARS of being toldto 'man up' n stop bein a 'fag'. We all know kids from school who got that treatment.

He overcompensated n was sooo unexpectedly happy to hear from the nice kid who he fell in love w on the damn beach.

 

N the kid who he was attracted to.

Idk if they were trying to imply that he hadnt been w a woman (lookin like that, esp) but I 100 get him having a suuuuper soft spot in his heart for 'that' dude, from 'that' time.

If u spend multiple years regressing something u want, and the ONE person who gave it to u calls u up, yeah, ur gonna respond.

My ex, who I used to really feel like Id let burn, n I are now friends. Known the mofo since we were 13. We know each others families. Well.

I say that to say, that ol boy had a lil affect on Chiron, and once Kevin? got himself together, n stopped pretending, he remembered 'that kid he liked'.

And was able to get his number.

 

Cant relate to a crackhead mom, but yea, I can def relate to having to sneak off to steal a lil time w someone who literally had such a big azz affect on you and ur young heart. Maaan if yall only knew.

I told him that I think abt writing our story, n he told me he thinks its a great idea. Only prob, I'm not a writer...

 

I listened to the podcast, and I think the confusion with the third act is ultimately realizing one of the main themes of the film. Who are you? I agree the movie leaves you with open ended questions, but in the first act Juan tells little Chiron that he was going to have to figure out who he is going to be for himself. Also in the third act older Kevin asks Chiron who is he. Chiron aka black has changed his outward appearance, but when he sees kevin after years, he reverts back to the shy little 15 year old he once was. I think thats why we don't know too much about him in his older years because he doesn't even know who he is. I feel like, and i could be reaching, that the director wanted us to kind of make up our own minds about who Chiron is.

 

After seeing it a second time I will say... I liked it no more nor less but I will NOT be seeing it for a third showing for quite some time lol. I want to see if it'll stand the test of times; I don't want to overexpose. I guess my big take away was that I learned to appreciate Act III which was clearly criticized the most on here. The ending just allows me to interpret things my own way and theorize. I've found ways to make sense of all the issues some of us had with Act III, it's not so unrealistic to me anymore.

 

Did a 2nd viewing make the hug more climactic?

 

HELLO SOMEBODY! I havent seen so many mental gymnastics since the olympics. Art is subjective and good art asks you to put some interpretation into it...but people are writing their own movie into what's actually presented on screen. It sucks because criticizing the 3rd act almost comes off as if you didn't like the film, but I absolutely loved the 1st 2 acts. The 3rd act just fell short. It made no real logical sense in any way. The first 2 acts had some logic gaps, but the emotional payoff of both made you forget them. The 3rd act didn't have that luxury. It ended weak which leaves you to think about all of the weird things in it that didn't work. There are a laundry list of purely logical things that didn't make sense in act 3 that a review could be written on those alone. But people are fixated on the diner scene which had some great moments. But I mean...I could point out that although it's established that Black put his mom in the halfway house...when he went to visit her....why did it feel like they hadn't seen each other in 10 years although that was clearly not the case? I'm tired of calling BS on the 3rd act because the gays are so sensitive about it. Twas weak!

 

Nothing about it made logical sense. I guess some people say it made emotional sense...but them emotions were stupid. It just wasn't a very sensical 3rd act. It's like the 1st two acts were literal and the 3rd was figurative metaphor and people are imposing their stories onto it.

 

You guys are PISSED huh?

 

Negro, my comment was NOT to read that deep. First off, I don't think Chiron was nearly as annoyed by Kevin as he was suspicious about why this 'popular' guy even talks to him. The beach was the beach...for obvs reasons..for horny suppressed teens.

And both u and @hannibal pls know, that I hated the 3rd act the most also. Ijs, there's some overthinking going. Hell, I hated that ending.... *SPOILER*******

that holding each other shyt was wack, but I'm not gonna negate the fact that there were soo many parts of this film that told parts of my...MINE..NOT SPEAKING FOR OTHER PPL...story.

And I'll admit, I might be a lil less critical, as someone who finally got to relate to, at least, parts of a blk gay man/men's story on the screen.

Also, I felt it was def 'implied' that Chiron prob felt unattractive and unwanted. Real talk, neither of the kids who played him were casted for their looks. Isnt that part of it, not stating the obvious?! Then we see a grown up Chiron. Pretty much 'implies' a Miss Celie complex, at least in my opinion.

Also, I think the whole 'Kevin beating Chiron up' thing is waay too emphasized. And I think its only because they had a sexual encounter. However, ev1 on this board has been to hs, and gets how some kids will go against their nature to fit into a crowd, even at the expense of their 'friends'. (Did yall not see how they did my girl Barb on Stranger Things?!) A whole beatdown was excessive, but cmon, it was a point being made, and it was clear in Kevin's face that he hated what he was doing, just to 'save face'.

I think a lot of this is completely over dissected.

 

Not to mention, u can't compare the actions of 15 yr olds to those of angry, closeted, repressed, baggage carrying grown azz men who beat someone out of all of the reasons mentioned above.

 

Negro, have several. Im still waiting on u to actually like something. For once. *other than random shyt no one else gives a fuk about*

 

He's a masculine. They are usually contradictory.

 

Well there is more here than just that, right? Most of what gets discussed on the forums are things other than films, shows, musicians(and whatever 'etc.' is). The focus has shifted a bit because of an important movie, but c'mon now. You basically accused him of one word answers right after he posted what(is for him)a thesis! lol. Then you both get testy with one another. smh. Don't need any more good members leaving now.

Now(do an internet version of whateverthe fuck masculine black gay men do when they 'make up' over a spat as if I would know what that is being out of the loop even on white gay shit).

Anyway I am trying to find someone who will see this movie with me when it gets here in two weeks or else I will have to see it alone. I wonder how much of this movie is going to ring true for me, and how much will be 'universal' in it's reach-at least for any gay men of any race growing up.