We watched MOONLIGHT yesterday afternoon.
It had excellent performances (Naomie Harris was magnificent); several heartfelt scenes, BUT the "Best Picture of the Year"?
PLEASE!
I have yet to see LA LA LAND, but HELL OR HIGH WATER and HACKSAW RIDGE are much more involving and enduring films than MOONLIGHT.
For me, the "Best Picture of the Year" should be a movie that people, over time, will want to see more than once...or twice.
MOONLIGHT may be very touching, but I'd never want to see it again. It's a "film of the moment".
There are so many "films of the moment" that have won Best Picture and that now, aside from film buffs who want to see it because it won Best Picture, are otherwise forgotten.
A few other "films of the moment": GOING MY WAY, THE LOST WEEKEND, GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT, THE ENGLISH PATIENT.
Except for historical reasons, who watches these movies any longer? Yet, they beat out such revered classics as: DOUBLE INDEMNITY, MILDRED PIERCE, SPELLBOUND, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, CROSSFIRE and FARGO.