i watched this movie because it kept showing up on peoples' lists of movies everyone should watch. i wasn't sure what to expect, but i wasn't disappointed, and ended up feeling a surprisingly personal connection to this movie. a lot of movies that take place in the 27th state were actually filmed elsewhere, but this movie was filmed the same place it was set. i didn't need to look that up to find that out - it seemed like every other scene in this movie was somewhere i had actually been before, or at least driven by.

the authenticity doesn't stop at just filming on set. every single character, without exception, felt like a whole, real, flawed human being. the florida project often feels more like a mockumentary than a work of fiction, even though i don't think that was the intention. the acting is so down-to-earth and true to life that you could tell me at least half the movie was unscripted candid video and i would believe you. (i did find out after watching the movie that several scenes were improvised. it all works together seamlessly.) in a way that's a little more specific to me - the characters also feel deeply familiar. without getting too specific, i used to work at a store not too far from where the florida project takes place. i grew very fond of much of the clientele and regulars, and i could see many of them in some of the characters in the movie.

i don't mean to harp on about the characters over and over again, but they're really great. i enjoy that these characters, both the children and the adults, are allowed to be imperfect. it sounds like kind of an obvious statement on its face, but i enjoy when characters aren't forced into this 'perfect victim' archetype. moonee's mother, halley, comes to mind as one of my favorites in the film. she's rude, she's beligerent, she's often spiteful, and makes irresponsible decision after irresponsible decision for herself and moonee throughout the movie - but at the end of the day, she is stll a person (within the story of this film, not real life) who could use sympathy and a helping hand. the same goes for pretty much the entire named cast. i get a little frustrated seeing people criticize this movie on account of the fact that they couldn't sympathize with such 'obnoxious and trashy' characters. the way they act (perhaps caused by their upbringing and difficult situation) doesn't make them any more deserving of the situation they're in. there's nuance to it, as there is with all things, sure, but i find these criticisms baffling.

character-adjacent point. the actors are great. the characters are one thing, but what would they be without such a great cast bringing them to life? willem dafoe is just fantastic in this, i loved his character - but even better than willem dafoe were all of the kid actors. they were just fantastic. without spoiling the ending, despite the amount of controversy surrounding it, i thought it was just perfect. very sad, very evocative, extremely perfect. i'm not sure there's a better way they could have ended it. the visuals of this are fantastic, although i'm sure some of that is just owed to the fact that florida is often a beautiful looking state.

this movie is really great. i've been thinking about it since i watched it. it's not a fun movie, per se, but it is a great movie. it's painfully real, very beautiful, and very heartbreaking. i'd reccomend it to anyone with time on their hands to see it.