One Act Love: Scene reviews of Moonlight

 Imagine meeting someone and knowing they’d be imprinted on your soul forever. Every encounter you had with them was memorable. A sizzle in your spirit that cannot be extinguished despite circumstances like distance and the social construct that is time. You two were written in the stars. Instant folklore that your descendants will be recounting on wraparound porches long after you’ve gone on to glory. Yeah, that kind of love. 

In rewatching ‘Moonlight’ by Barry Jenkins, I realized that is what Chiron and Kevin had in three separate scenes. I invite you to take a trip deep down into your feelings with me.

 Scene 1: The Road Trip- As a youth, Kevin was a player- but to Chiron, he was the epitome of romance. He took his time, actually cared for, and listened to what our sable-skinned protagonist had to say. That is hard to come by no matter your circumstances, but Chiron knew he would never find another like that so he abstained-for years! Chiron was a beautiful man who had been hardened by life. His beauty, strength, and intelligence were effervescent. He could have had whoever he wanted. He spurned potential romantic interests because they were not Kevin. He held out for as long as he could. His emotions had reached a fever pitch, so he decided to take a ride. When prodded about what his expectations were. He simply said “a hug and some conversation”. A HUG AND SOME CONVERSATION. It wouldn’t be a big deal, but he drove from Atlanta to Miami non-stop to see this man. Mans logged twelve hours in hopes to simply chit chat and feel the warm embrace of a trusted soul. Put yourself in his position;  riding down I-75 replaying every moment shared-
an hour passes-anticipation builds- another two hours flies by--heart racing. You realize there is more road behind you than in front of you. It is too late to turn around. Your mind is spinning while trying to anticipate what is going to happen and then you arrive. Exhale- this is a demonstration of love. In that car, on that road Chi was not asking Kev to be, do, say anything-- he simply wanted him to be there when he arrived so he could lay eyes on God’s greatest work.

Scene 2: Soul food- Chiron arrives and sees Kevin. He is greeted and visually nervous. Understandably so, you would be too. Small talk is exchanged. Kevin is a chef. He says, ‘let me cook for you’. I can stop here, because honestly when someone makes you a meal with as many moving pieces as arroz con pollo has, that is love. I do want to bring your attention to the fact time slows down during this scene. A diner once full of people is now filled with bated breath, longing, and two people with a lifetime of catching up to do. 

Scene 3: Night drive-  After being fed, and the conversation he drove 12 hours for had begun, the evening continues. They hop in Chiron’s car. Kevin is leaning against the passenger door. The moon is the backdrop and its beam is setting the mood. The look that Kevin’s giving is one that is burned into my memory. I can close my eyes and see it. The look in his eyes, that posture, his facial expression- all exude a smoldering, sex appeal that I have not come across on film. I felt it. It made me think that if Chi wasn’t going to take advantage, I definitely would. This scene showcases the love that is purely physical-carnal even. Love of the human form and imagining what their heartbeat sounds like up close.

If Barry Jenkins never did anything, he gave us Moonlight. This beautiful love story. The actors breathed life into these characters so convincingly that my prayer for everyone is to know moments like these. 

So I ask again, have you ever met someone who felt like a neck kiss? Chiron did. This type of love is life-changing, I can’t wait for you to experience it. Savor it. Write it down in the family bible. For it is surely the birth of a generation.

Asè

Red Light Special

Two of your favorite artists have just shaken up the Internet and ignited the airwaves with their new singles and videos. The tones are very mature Raheem Devaughn’s “She’s Single” and Keri Hilson’s “The Way You Love Me.” They have all the ingredients to be hits and not just become hot topics on your daily news. These two video showcase the racier side of the aforementioned artists. Mr. Devaughn easily transitions from socially conscious to flawlessly pleasing your woman. “Break out those 12 -count, gold packed magnums, I’m going to make her melt like ice cubes.” Ms. Hilson is simply letting her edgier side be shown to the masses by boldly screaming “I have the type of p---y that’ll keep you out of the streets.” In a recent interview with Perez Hilton Keri says that "this song is for those times when we (women) don’t want to be held or caressed. I want you ‘thug’ me. The sentiment is there whether I use a curse word or not. ” Raheem recently told VIBE.com “I wanted to create an image that was tasteful, but cutting edge, provocative, grown… real,” Mission accomplished. While both videos command attention, I am willing to bet that Keri’s will be scrutinized more. Raheem’s video is intended for promotional use and Keri’s will be banned from music video stations soon. As we know, music is still very much a boys’ club and full of double standards. A man be he a singer or rapper, can flaunt his conquests and sexual prowess without fear of judgment, but once a woman decides she is comfortable with her sexuality it’s an issue. “She’s setting a bad example; she’s slut, whore…” and every other negative term one can think of. This couldn't be further from the truth. Both are free to express how they live through their art. Hence the phrase “art imitates life.” Contrary to that thought the question of How does one go from “Pretty Girls Rock” to “The Way You Love Me” and “Bulletproof” and “She’s Single” in such a short amount of time ? The answer: Easy. It’s the growth and progression of art and an artist. Both artists have displayed their love of the opposite sex in other songs and the events that take place between them (albeit a little more subtle depending on the track). They both may be seen as overtly sexual but that was the intention. All of an artist’s work is not and should not be for all ages. The songs themselves are what we’ve come to expect from artists like them. They are well written, sensual, raw, real, contain catchy lyrics, bed rocking and dance floor ready beats (Devaughn and Hilson respectively) and yet beautiful in their simplicity. They have all the ingredients to be hits and not just become hot topics on your daily news. These themes cover adult subject matter and should be treated as such. These two videos will no doubt be downloaded virally and talked about incessantly but just remember music is what feelings sound like, and some feelings need to be sounded out more explicitly than others.
Links to both videos are below:
http://live.drjays.com/index.php/2010/12/02/raheem-devaughn-gets-steamy-with-shes-single/ http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhNQx41sxbkr7BJLyu