Review of The Florida Project

I really liked this film, as unorthodox as it was. The first hour was uproariously funny, before becoming a deep, and poignant study of the millions of lives of Americans who are living on the fringes of society, just barely surviving day to day. There is a shocking lack of cinema devoted to this underclass, and seeing this small film, was refreshing, enlightening, and surprising, and a refreshing contrast to the plutocracy we see all around us today.

The performances were outstanding. I am not sure where Bria Vinaite has been hiding, but she was astonishing as the mom, Hailey. Her daughter and all of the other kids were great, and their interactions, behavior, dialogue and play was hysterical. Then it kind of morphed into a more serious story, that was credible, and powerful. Willem Dafoe was his usual masterful self, and played a very real, very likable guy. A tough guy with a heart of gold.

I highly recommend this film. Not for everyone. Several people walked out during the film. My presumption was that they either thought the film focused too much time on the kids, or they were living in a state of denial, like so many Americans these days, pretending that this huge underclass does not exist. Regardless, it felt like a story that needed to be told. And it was told very well. Kudos to the filmmakers.