MOONLIGHT (2016)

"At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you gonna be. Can't let nobody make that decision for you."

One fateful day, drug dealer, Juan (Mahershala Ali) is out on the street checking in with one of his sellers.  As he's walking back to his car, he sees a group a young boys chasing a smaller lone boy.  They say some extremely hateful stuff as they run by.  Most people wouldn't think too much of it, but Juan follows the boys and finds the lone boy, Chiron Harris, hiding in an old boarded up crackhouse.  He takes Chiron under his wing.  That doesn't turn out too well, but it does set into motion a safe place for Chiron to go when things get too bad at home or at school.  Which seems to be most of the time.

I don't want to get too much into the story of MOONLIGHT since the story itself and the way the story is presented is one of the many, many great things about this film.  Honestly, the best thing I can recommend, is don't read up on the movie...just watch it.  Put your goddamn phone down and pay attention to the film.  Think about the story, put yourself in Chiron's (and/or any of the other characters) shoes and then, afterward, simply reflect on it.  It's an extremely rewarding experience.  MOONLIGHT is one of those rare films that opens up so many different thoughts in your head.  I cannot identify with Chiron physically, but some of his mental scars really, really hit home with me.  As painful as it was to acknowledge and think about, just knowing that there's a beautifully made movie that reflects some of my own internal issues was very comforting.

Highly recommended. MOONLIGHT is one of the best films that I've seen in a very long time.

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)

A spoiled heiress (Claudette Colbert) is angry at her dad (Walter Connolly) because he doesn't approve of her new gold-digging husband.  She runs away and heads out on the road to be with the man she loves. On the bus from Miami to NYC she catches the eye of a down-and-out newspaper man (Clark Gable) who doesn't know who she is, but finds her amusing. He flirts with her and she refuses, but once he sees how out of place she is he takes it upon himself to watch out for her...whether she wants his help or not.

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT is a fantastic movie (although my choice for the Best Picture of 1934 is still Howard Hawks' TWENTIETH CENTURY).  Quick pace, enjoyable story, some truly funny moments (Alan Hale's singing, the hitchhiking scene, etc.), great direction by Frank Capra, photography by the legendary Joseph Walker and an awesome supporting cast including Walter Connolly, Ward Bond, Roscoe Karns, Charles C. Wilson, Arthur Hoyt and Alan Hale.  The whole thing is even more impressive when you learn it was made in just four weeks!  And let's not forget that IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT was Friz Freleng's inspiration for Bugs Bunny!! Mel Brooks also said in his autobiography that he lifted the basic story idea for SPACEBALLS.

Required viewing for all fans of classic Hollywood.