Food:
SUPPORT BLACK BUSINESSES
Brick & Spoon
Orlando, Florida
http://brickandspoonorlando.com/
Reviews:
“This new Louisiana style eatery provides amazing food in ample portions. You deserve a visit.”
“The food was perfectly seasoned, fresh and delicious! I had the Killer Creole Omelet twice.”
“Between 4 of us we shared the bananas foster French toast, shrimp and grits, shrimp and Tasso mac & cheese and a burger. All were well prepared and very tasty. Oh, we had the deviled eggs with friend shrimp appetizer and that was super tasty.”
Black Stories Film Series #19:
“Moonlight” (2016) directed by Barry Jenkins is a story about masculinity, sexuality and identity. It also reflects on the impact of circumstantial poverty, desperation, family structures and all of these elements within the black community specifically. Jenkins created a musing coming of age film that is divided into three parts —“Little,” “Chiron” and “Black”—the three names used to refer to the same person, our protagonist, who we follow from childhood through adolescence and then into adulthood.The film starts with a young boy, who is referred to as “Little” (Alex R. Hibbert) running from bullies, hiding in a crack motel. He is found by an older man named Juan (Mahershala Ali), a kind-hearted drug dealer, who takes him back to eat with him and his partner, Teresa (Janelle Monáe). Though, Little is excruciatingly quiet, it is evident that he needs more support than he is being given at home. We soon discover that his home life is lacking – with no father and a mother who is heavily addicted to drugs (and is one of Juan’s clients). Little is raising himself. He fills a bath with dish soap, boils a pot of hot water to add to his bath tub, and sits quietly with suds on his head. Little’s life is surrounded by loneliness.
Juan and Little develop a sweet bond – as evidenced by a magical scene of them swimming together in the Miami ocean. Juan teaches Little how to float. They laugh. Little has somewhat of a father figure in Juan, and the film gives us a sense of hope in their relationship.
Juan and Little develop a sweet bond – as evidenced by a magical scene of them swimming together in the Miami ocean. Juan teaches Little how to float. They laugh. Little has somewhat of a father figure in Juan, and the film gives us a sense of hope in their relationship.
The story jumps forward, now Little goes by his real name, Chiron (played impeccably by Ashton Sanders – seriously, this young mans career should be experiencing the momentum of Timothee Chalamet with this performance), and is a teenager more isolated than ever. He wanders the school hallways dealing more directly with questions about his own identity and facing more scrutiny from his peers than before. He finds comfort in one friend who shows him kindness named Kevin (Jharrel Jerome), and in one heartbreaking moment, allows himself to be vulnerable, saying “I cry so much I could turn into drops.” In this world, masculinity reigns and violence is the only gateway to fitting in.
Sanders shows us a Chiron who due to so much abuse and isolation, is almost completely suppressed. It is as though as any moment, he could crack, like the tear ducts are forming behind his eye balls causing him a headache, and his throat is closing up from trying not to cry. The performance is so visceral, it’s impossible to watch and not be moved from inside out.We see a grown Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) – who now goes by “Black” (a nickname once given to him by Kevin) – wears a mask, by way of bulked up muscle and gold teeth “fronts” which he has created to survive. After years of pent up rage and fear, he ends up serving jail time, and relocates to Atlanta, Georgia to start over. No one here knows him, and he does not have to face any truths about himself either – namely, that he is gay. That is, until he receives a call from his old friend Kevin (now played by André Holland). Due to well-aligned casting and Jenkins weaving these three chapters together finely, the story does not get lost in the episodic form. We see the sad eyes of Chiron as a boy emulated in Chiron as a man.“Moonlight” is an adaptation by Jenkins from a play written by Tarell McCraney called “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue.” All of this work is grounded in the understanding that human relationships build us into who we become. Even the smallest moment can affect the trajectory of our lives. They can cause us to adjust ourselves in order to exist. The film is also heavily driven by whimsical cinematography – which is almost similar to the films of Terrence Malick – but much more focused. Things are shown rather than spoken, just like many of the hidden truths a person might face which society has not given them the words to express.
Few films have been this masterful and eloquent. “Moonlight” reflects, like the ocean featured throughout it, on the impossible circumstances presented disproportionately to people of color. It shows how those circumstances lead to hopelessness that often results in drug use, violence, or both. It exhibits how those behaviors destroy people, and families, and children are left to raise themselves. “Moonlight” disrupts the narrative of what we expect to see in black men. It disrupts classic masculinity, and peels back the stereotypes to show what lies beneath, in powerful, albeit subtle ways. Few films are this eloquent. This one is timeless, masterful, heart wrenching and genuinely beautiful.
Original Review Found Here: Moonlight (2017)
Inglorious Baguettes 
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