‘Moonlight’ raw, achingly powerful – ‘Joneses’ another studio comedy misfire

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This is no “Boyhood,” however. There are three actors portraying Chiron (surely to be a Sophie’s Choice come awards season), and although it takes a bit of imagination to accept the three as the same person, “Moonlight” feels somehow even more poignant than that 12-year experiment. That’s no small feat, and perhaps that’s because of the power of the subject and its exploration of the gayness of an African American man.

But Jenkins has also accomplished something truly extraordinary in that “Moonlight” feels as real and raw and vague and specific as a memory. That this all coalesces into a coherent and impactful story is a testament to his singular talent — not to mention how wildly different it is from his debut, “Medicine for Melancholy.”

Jenkins adapted “Moonlight” from Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue.” The subject, Chiron (played first by the promising newcomer Alex Hibbert) is introduced as a wisp of a boy in a rough, sunny neighborhood. He’s being chased by some kids when he finds refuge in a blighted apartment. An adult on the streets notices the scene and comes to Chiron’s aid, coaxing him out of hiding and back into the world.

Generous

Something is not right with this quiet little boy and this man, Juan (a powerful standout Mahershala Ali), and his girlfriend Teresa (Janelle Mon·e) are generous and well off enough to help. We soon find out that Chiron is indeed from an unstable home. His mother, Paula (Naomie Harris, showing grit and substance) is fiercely protective of her little boy when she’s alert, but she’s also a full blown addict. It’s a condition that only worsens with time.

Thus, Chiron bumbles back and forth between the nurturing hominess of basic strangers, the coldness of school and the ugliness of his mother’s place. There’s also the uncomfortable truth that Paula buys her drugs from Juan’s men. His savoir is the reason he needs saving.

The raw edges of his life are even more frayed when we meet up with him again as a teenager. Chiron (now played by Ashton Sanders) has shot up like a reed, but not yet out. His stature and quietude make him even more of a target for the hulking, clique-y boys around him, who bully and taunt him with glee.

It’s only Kevin (played by Jaden Piner as a child, Jharrel Jerome as a teen and Andre Holland as an adult) who provides any sort of friendship throughout his life. In the teenage section, the two share an intense and passionately physical connection one night on the beach — an interaction that, however fleeting, will follow him for years.

A moment of rage stemming from the newly awakened Chiron will define the next chapter of his life, too. But I’ll refrain from describing this third part. It’s a transformation that’s best experienced, and it’s one that left my heart in pieces.

“Moonlight” is not propelled by story so much as atmosphere — a melancholy blend of music, careful imagery and colors and repeating motifs that will linger in your mind long after the credits roll. It’s one of the most exciting character studies in recent memory and one that will endure beyond the politics and impermanence of awards season.

Hopefully it doesn’t take Jenkins another eight years to make a film. But we can take comfort in the very strong likelihood that, even if it does, it will be well worth the wait.

“Moonlight,” an A24 release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for “some sexuality, drug use, brief violence, and language throughout.” Running time: 110 minutes. Four stars out of four.

The modern studio comedy increasingly feels limp, suffocated by the financial imperatives of high-concept plots and desperately in search of signs of life. Greg Mottola’s “Keeping Up With the Joneses” is, like many before it, fine enough. But it mostly goes down as another collection of funny people stuck in too narrowly cliched roles in an overly familiar story.

It’s now been more than 10 years since “The 40 Year-Old Virgin” and five since “Bridesmaids.” (Feel old yet?) There have, undoubtedly, been good comedies since, namely things with Melissa McCarthy in them, Noah Baumbach’s “Frances Ha” and anything Wes Anderson is putting out. But there has been perhaps no greater casualty to the constrictions of blockbuster-centric Hollywood than comedy. The freedom necessary for comedy to thrive is mostly found on television; the action is with “Broad City,” “Atlanta,” “Inside Amy Schumer” and others.

Mottola, the director of “Adventureland” and “Superbad,” has been at the center of comedy on both the big screen and on TV (“Arrested Development,” the underrated “Clear History”), but “Keeping Up With the Joneses,” written by Michael LeSieur (“You, Me and Dupree”) doesn’t have much of the naturalism that has distinguished his best.

Stylish

Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher play Jeff and Karen Gaffney, a regular suburbanite couple experiencing an empty nest for the first time with their kids away at summer camp. An impossibly stylish and accomplished couple moves in next door, the Joneses (Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot, taking a break from her Wonder Woman duties). He’s a travel writer who can blow his own glass; she writes a cooking blog and wears cocktail dresses to neighborhood barbeques.

But what makes the Joneses most jealous of them is their easy affection with one another. Though its name is taken from the status-obsessed phrase first made famous by a 1913 comic strip and coopted by the Kardashians, this “Keeping Up With the Joneses” is a comedy about marital passion rekindled.

That the Joneses are putting up a facade is evident from the start, but the movie cleverly subverts the nature of their secret identities. They are elite government spies of some sort, but not as far removed from the normal squabbles and challenges of marriage as you might think.

The collision of international espionage thrills and quiet suburban life has become familiar by now thanks to the likes of “The Matador,” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and “The Americans.” When the bullets start flying, “Keeping Up With the Jones” has some moves of its own, thanks to the talents of Galifianakis (here playing a naive, aw-shucks character that limits him) and the always game Fisher. Only Hamm manages to create a three-dimensional character: a James Bond secretly yearning to be a regular guy.

But whatever is cramping the style of “Keeping Up With Joneses” — whether it’s the PG-13 rating, the stock characters or a thin script — the feeling never leaves that everyone here could do better if they were really let loose. Alas, it’s going to take more than Wonder Woman to save the studio comedy.

“Keeping Up With the Joneses,” a 20th Century Fox release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “sexual content, action/violence and brief strong language.” Running time: 101 minutes. Two stars out of four. (AP)

By Lindsey Bahr

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