Visionary filmmaker and cinematic legend Pedro Almodóvar clearly has flawless taste, and when commenting on The Florida Project, he boldly stated that “Sean Baker is my bet for the future” – and this compliment from one of cinema’s most iconoclastic artists is not undeserved, as Sean Baker has proven himself to be a supremely talented filmmaker, and throughout his career has grown steadily as a writer and director, making his mainstream debut with the explosive sensation Tangerine, a film that multitudes of people (myself included) absolutely adored. The unassuming and honest tale of two transgender prostitutes over the course of one day was a true independent hit, and the sheer audacity of that project (filmed entirely on an iPhone 5) was indicative of the fact that Baker certainly has something extraordinarily special about him as a creative force. Now, two years later, he has managed to convey the same tenacious brilliance and proved to only grow from the added exposure with The Florida Project, a precise and delightful piece of social realism that is as quaint and charming as it is bleak and heartbreaking, and sets Baker up to continue this meteoric rise to helping redefine cinema and force it to play his own unique rules and be, as Almodóvar says, “the future”

The Florida Project takes place in the titular state, on the outskirts of the Disneyland Resort, the location that has come to be almost folkloric in its status as supposedly the happiest place on earth. However, our film (with the exception of the final climactic scene) does not take place there, but rather in a plethora of motels that are the antithesis of the excessive, joyful display of a carefree life of the nearby resort, rather showing the trials and tribulations of several individuals who are essentially homeless, who live in these motels, paying their shelter week to week, simply attempting to survive. The focus of the film is Moonee (Brooklynn Prince), a precocious six-year-old child who lives with her young mother, Halley (Bria Vinaite) in the Magic Castle, a motel that’s gorgeous and alluring purple facade hides the depressing and bleaks lives of the inhabitants, most of whom are trying to make ends meet. From day to day, Moonee ventures out with her friends Scooty (Christopher Rivera) and Jancey (Valeria Cotto) to cause harmless mischief and pass the time during the long and arduously scorching summer, using their youth as an excuse to pester (and sometime harass) tourists and relying on their innocence to get them out of particularly tricky situations. They also consistently serve as a source of irritation for Bobby (Willem Dafoe), the hardworking manager and caretaker of the hotel, who proves himself to be far more than simply a superintendent and landlord, but also as a surrogate father to many of the residents, in particular the core mother-daughter duo that this film focuses on. Through a series of episodic adventures and encounters between individuals, The Florida Project paints an exciting and beautifully-poignant but often extremely heartbreaking and relentlessly hopeless account of the seemingly invisible lives of those who are so close to a place known for its overindulgent happiness, yet so far from feeling the same comforting joy themselves.

Sean Baker is not exactly a newcomer, having directed a few films, albeit relatively obscure and underseen independent gems. His two most noteworthy films prior to The Florida Project – namely Starlet and Tangerine – were minor sensations because of their performances, particularly the latter, whereby Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor won acclaim and universal praise for their performances as hardworking and conflicted Los Angeles prostitutes, trying to make ends meet. The same spirited dedication to constructing interesting characters, and having them brought to life by extraordinarily talented performers (both professional and amateur) is present in The Florida Project. The film features a trio of performances that are certainly amongst the very best of the year, and shows how Baker is able to retain his talent for finding new talent, but also in being able to work with a well-known and extremely beloved veteran. Baker is able to bring out the natural chemistry between each person in the cast, whether they are newcomers having their breakthrough moment, or an actor who has certainly been around for a while, giving countless astonishing performances throughout his long and storied career. The Florida Project is built on the unique way the actors bring out the empathetic and naturally beautiful story, and the success of this film is found in the relentless passion conveyed through these extraordinary performances.

The Florida Project features one of the most wonderful performances from a child actor in recent years. Brooklynn Prince is truly mesmerizing in this film, playing the role of Moonee with such carefree joy and innocent curiosity. It can be considered one of those quintessential adorable performances by a child actor that either results in wider exposure and an entry into a great career (such as that of Jacob Tremblay, who has gone on to do terrific things after his incredible performance in Room), or it can be one that proves to be a one-hit wonder, with the performer either fading away after leaving the industry, or constantly being a part of smaller, less-than-ideal films. I sincerely hope it is the former for Prince, because she inhabits this role with such enchanting appeal, being able to convey the childlike innocence of the character, bringing out some of the most endearingly hilarious moments in the film, but also being able to display very mature, honest emotions. The Florida Project may be considered to be a charming and quaint film, but it is not one without serious issues at its core, and Prince is absolutely astounding in her commitment to conveying the lifestyle of the character with such brutal honesty. This is a great breakthrough performance for a young actress who clearly has an abundance of talents, and it would be wonderful if she was able to use the acclaim she has garnered from this film to prove that she is capable of a performance far more mature than one would consider, and hopefully we will be seeing more of her in the years to come. It is far too easy to dismiss Prince’s role as Moonee as being a prototypical youthful character, who appeals to the audience based on her adorable nature, but The Florida Project proves that there is a lot more to her than simply being a young child giving a typically adorable performance, and it is through Moonee that the audience sees the devastating emotional core of the film.

The majority of this film is governed by the principles of childhood innocence. We see the world through the eyes of the children, and we experience life through their unique perceptive gaze of everything around them. Telling a story through the eyes of a child protagonist is certainly not anything new to fiction (especially novels), with child narrative ranging from the historically-notable works of Charles Dickens, to Günter Grass’ The Tin Drum, to Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun and countless others, as well as many films as well, with one of the most notable being Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild, which I only mention for the fact that it would be a fantastic double-feature with The Florida Project, both being films that follow the exploits of a poverty-stricken child protagonist as they explore their surroundings, with much of their perspecive being somewhat akin to magical realism. There is something so fascinating about these stories that show the world through the eyes of a child – their naivety is not a boundary or something that impedes their growth, but rather the contrary: it is the key to a limitless voyage of freedom, where the world looks so uncanny and different from the way we as adults see it. I am astonished by how much of a cinematic chameleon Baker has proven himself to be, being able to adapt his gaze to that of his subjects, allowing his films to be authentic and genuine in their approach to the story, and The Florida Project shows Baker’s incredible understanding of childlike innocence and the way in which childhood is shaped by the influences around us when we are growing up, and how we are a product of our surroundings. Brooklynn is astounding in the film, as are Christopher Rivera and the other children who populate this film. If anything, The Florida Project is an ode to childhood, looking at the carefree, energetic formative years that most of us look back on with fond nostalgia and poignant desire to return to such a simple time in our lives.

As much as I adored Brooklynn Prince and her performance here, there was one performance in particular from The Florida Project that truly impressed me, that of Bria Vinaite, who proves to be the heart of this film. The circumstances that resulted in Vinaite’s casting is so fascinating (she was cast after Baker stumbled upon her Instagram profile and was taken aback by her laid-back persona, feeling it was entirely representative of what he envisioned the character of Halley to be), and her transition from a model and what is considered a social-media influencer to the scene-stealing star of one of the best films of the year is quite endearing, and proved that talent is sometimes lurking in the most unexpected places. Vinaite is quite simply wonderful as Halley, a young mother who is doing her very best to make ends meet and provide her daughter with the best possible life. She is not a lazy slacker, and she hustles to the best of her abilities to make a living, even if that means brief forays into slightly illegal activity, as well as somewhat immoral and reckless behaviour. Halley struggles with the responsibilities that come with having a child, because she is still very much young at heart, and is still relatively juvenile herself, partying and indulging excessively in drugs and alcohol. Vinaite is extraordinary in this film simply because of her ability to show Halley as a nuanced and layered individual, filled with her own inner-turmoil, trying to do her very best in the face of the forces of adversity that challenge her on a daily basis.

An extremely large portion of The Florida Project is built on the chemistry between Prince and Vinaite, and the mother/daughter relationship that governs this film is of imperative importance. What I found most astounding about The Florida Project is that it is one of the most unconventional portrayals of a maternal relationship ever committed to film, with Halley and Moonee appearing to be far more like sisters rather than mother and daughter. The reason for this is not restricted to Halley’s status as a young mother, but rather in the immaturity of both characters, and how they help each other in navigating the world – it would be so trite and cliched (but strangely accurate) to say that in some ways, Moonee serves as a parent to Halley in some instances, forcing her to act in a way that it makes her realize her adult responsibilities, and hopefully motivate her to put away her youthful vices and start being an appropriate mother. The bond between the characters is extremely strong (which I credit to the terrific chemistry between the two actresses) and they are very convincing in the roles, adding a sense of credibility to the performances that can only come from a deep and insightful understanding of the character. They bring out the inherent beauty of the unique and unconventional mother/daughter relationship that Baker is conveying here, and I may even dare to suggest that the child-like perspective that this film explores does extend to Halley as she is forced to grow up and face adulthood.

The Florida Project also sees Baker’s first collaboration with a well-established actor, and there was no one better to assimilate into Baker’s unique and visionary world as Willem Dafoe, an actor who has consistently been able to oscillate effortlessly between low-profile independent film cinema, and mainstream, high-budget blockbusters. It is in the former category that Dafoe has found his most remarkable work, and he proves he is far more than just a character actor known for his villainous charms, but rather someone capable of a diverse range of roles.  The Florida Project offers Dafoe another tremendous performance that may not be his greatest, but certainly is one of his very best and certainly his most moving, mainly because the tenderness of his performance is so unexpected. Playing Bobby, the hard-working, long-suffering motel manager who is constantly the foil of belligerent guests as he tries to enforce the simple rules of the establishment he tries extremely hard to prevent from falling into utter chaos, Dafoe is remarkable at showing the extents to which Bobby goes to maintain the motel as well as his own sanity, having to do what is difficult but ultimately what is right. Dafoe is wonderful in the role, playing Bobby as a vulnerable but willful individual who simply wants to retain order, but also possesses a very tender spot for many of the long-term residents, serving as a protector and guardian to many of them, especially the central duo. Dafoe is such an expressive actor, being able to convey every emotional nuance of the character, showing his anxieties and concerns, as well as showing the concealed tenderness of a character who, at first glance, is harsh and strict, but is actually extremely kindhearted and cares for those around him, even if it is not exceedingly clear.

This caring attitude shown on the part of Bobby is indicative of one of the other major themes of The Florida Project, one that is not dissimilar to a theme I already mentioned. If The Florida Project has a particular focus on the maternal relationship between Halley and Moonee, it goes without saying that the paternal relationship between Bobby and both Moonee and Halley is equally as notable. Bobby serves to be a surrogate father to both of them, showing his true empathy with their situation and doing his very best to help them in any way he can without being overtly charitable and contributing to Halley’s slacker attitude. Bobby is an extraordinarily sympathetic character, being a father-figure to so many of the other characters, particularly the children (one just needs to consider the moving and impactful scene where Bobby disposes of a paedophile who finds his way onto the motel property to understand the unofficially paternal relationship Bobby has with the other characters). Dafoe is a consistent presence throughout The Florida Project, perhaps not having his own fully-realized arc, but rather develops as a character through his encounters with other characters and the relationship he has with them. The Florida Project is distinctive as a meditation on unconventional parental relationships, and the way in which Baker conveys the nuances of Dafoe’s character as more of a guiding figure, someone who is willing to help those in need, rather than as a strict authoritarian, is astounding. Dafoe gives a terrific performance and proves himself once again to be an extraordinary actor, capable of the loving-kindness that lurks beneath his seemingly dour exterior.

The Florida Project contains a beautiful and moving story, and it is brought to life through vivid and gorgeous cinematography and production design. Much of this film takes place in the Magic Kingdom motel, which is a distinctive purple building which certainly evokes images of the resort that lurks as a presence throughout the film. Alexis Zabe serves as cinematographer, making his feature-length film debut after working exclusively in the realm of short films and music videos. The beauty of the visual aesthetic of The Florida Project is not that the cinematography is particularly innovative or groundbreaking, but rather in the way it manages to convey the environment in which this film takes place, showing the unique beauty of an environment that is otherwise dismissed in every other circumstance. Baker and Zabe attempt to convey the childlike perspective of the main characters by focusing on the vividness of their world, hoping to show familiar locations as larger-than-life. Baker is such a great director, precisely because of his bold technical choices that support the narrative. The Florida Project is a terrific film, with beautiful visuals and some quaint musical choices (such as the film opening with Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration”, a risky decision that ultimately paid off). It is difficult not to be hypnotized by this film when it looks so utterly beautiful, as well as having one of the most moving narratives of recent years.

In all honesty, The Florida Project is one of the year’s best films. It is realistic and often very bleak, and it presents us with a narrative that does not flinch away from the truthfulness of the story that it conveys. It is emotionally-resonant, being both hilarious and endearing, as well as heartbreaking and tragic. The climax of this film is unbelievably sad and results in an ending that is ambiguous and astonishingly beautiful. The combination of Baker’s precise skills as a writer and director, the strong performances from Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite (both of which are superbly talented and would be welcome additions to the contemporary cinematic landscape) and the legendary Willem Dafoe, makes The Florida Project one of the most extraordinary films of the year. It is a moving, touching piece of cinema that presents us with a certain reality in a way that is imaginative and gorgeous. This film is brimming with meaning, being a meditation on childhood innocence and the relationship between individuals, showing how we are influenced by those around us. The Florida Project is a fantastic film, and its humility is only matched by its relentless brilliance and allows it to be considered a towering achievement. Truly a wonderful, emotionally-beautiful film, and undeniably something extraordinarily special.