The Florida Project, a low budget independent film with heart by director/cowriter Sean
Baker, features genuine performances by a young cast anchored by the wonderful
Willem Dafoe.
Kids
living in a rundown motel on the outskirts of Disney World, find ways to cope
and survive as they form a bond in a community amid hopelessness. The nearby, colorful retail stores form an
ironic backdrop, a counterpoint to the poverty. Bobby (Dafoe), a harried manager with a conscience, keeps the motel
running; he is the voice of reason and tries to bring order to the chaos. He chastises the kids for mischief and yet
protects them when a potential pedophile approaches them. Little Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and her mom,
Halley (Bria Vinaite) make the best of their situation. Halley loves her
daughter and tries to shield her from the harsh realities of life even as she
desperately cons, flimflams, and tricks her way to make a buck. When social workers confront her mom and
threaten to uproot her life, Moonee searches for a source of salvation.
Much
of it seen from the kids’ point of view, it’s a revealing look at this microcosm of a world with its myriad of
unusual characters and situations. Prince
and Vinaite are very convincing as daughter and mom, but it is Dafoe who shines
in support of the whole cast. It’s his best role in years.
**** of
**** stars
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