‘I can always tell when adults are about to cry…’
The idea of the kitchen sink drama is an inherently British concept. Filmmakers like Ken Loach have been documenting working class culture for decades now, and along with contemporaries like Shane Meadows, Loach has captured the minutiae of the lives of ‘normal’ people in a way that must seem alien in Hollywood. The Florida Project is not quite a kitchen sink drama, but it comes from the same desire to tell the stories of the disaffected. The left behind…
Halley (Bria Vinaite) and her daughter Moonee (Brooklyn Prince) attempt to travail life on the breadline, all the while living in the shadow of the vast behemoth that is Disneyland. The happiest place on earth tagline that the mouse loves so much doesn’t seem to extend to the surrounding areas, despite the best efforts of building manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe).
Aside from Dafoe, who is excellent throughout, The Florida Project is made up entirely of unknown, first time actors, and it is this detail that makes Sean Baker’s affecting film so astounding. Both Prince and particularly Bria Vinatie are compelling and draped in sadness in a way that has you rooting for them despite their continued selfishness and bad choices. Baker combines guerrilla filmmaking with a story of warmth and emotional depth, but it is The Florida Project’s authenticity that really elevates it. This is not just an important film, but a unique one. A film that justifies the hype.