The Florida Project

If one watches Yorgos Lanthimos films for a glimpse into how absurd situations highlight the messy complexities of being human, then one watches Sean Baker's films for how candid reality highlights the messy complexities of being human. The Florida Project is no different in its unflinching honesty. The film follows the summertime adventures of a six-year-old girl who lives with her unemployed single mother in a budget motel in Florida. The film juxtaposes the local residents' less glamorous day-to-day lives and the children's adventures where they make the most of their surroundings while being blissfully ignorant of the hardships their adult caretakers face.

Hinging the success of a film off the performance of a child star was a big risk taken by Baker that ultimately pays off. Brooklynn Prince delivers as a misguided yet ever-adventurous girl finding fun in bleak surroundings with her young companions. It never felt as if she was "acting" and some of her final moments in the film even drew out a tear or two from me—which rarely happens when I watch films. Though with as much credit as I can give the performance, I also have to acknowledge the writing and direction emphasizing authenticity in an almost documentary style of filmmaking. The reality of each character—with their flaws, complexities, and merits—makes one feel as if the Magic Castle Inn really does exist with its tenets exactly as portrayed in the film. The Florida Project's candidness, as shown through the eyes of an unfiltered young girl, is easily the movie's greatest strength.

Yet for all the film's authenticity, there were some detractors. Unfortunately, I couldn't help but feel that this was a rehash of another of Sean Baker's films, Red Rocket (or more precisely Red Rocket was a rehash of The Florida Project). It might seem weird faulting a film for qualities shared with another film produced after it, however the fact that both are a part of Sean Baker's catalogue makes me disappointed that they follow very identical plot structures and deal with similar themes and subject matter. Even preserving the Baker filmography throughline to shed new light on the world of sex work, I would have much preferred Baker to make bold and novel choices then stick with what had worked for him in the past. And while this assessment might not be entirely fair to The Florida Project, no work of art exists in a vacuum and I couldn't help but draw certain parallels throughout my viewing.