© 2024
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
An update has been released for the Android version of the WAMC App that addresses performance issues. Please check the Google Play Store to download and update to the latest version.

Rob Edelman: Barry Jenkins

Of all the fine films that won theatrical releases this past year, one title for me stands at the very top of the pack. That is MOONLIGHT, directed and written by Barry Jenkins. 

Now when I see and savor a film, that film will sit with me for a bit. I will think about it and ponder why it worked so well. But on rare occasion that film will keep popping into my mind, and not just for a couple hours or days but for weeks. This precisely is the case with MOONLIGHT. It is extra-special, and it is extraordinary, and it is a work of art.

And while contemplating MOONLIGHT, I had to wonder: Who exactly is Barry Jenkins? I was unfamiliar with his work and wanted to know more about him. Well, during a quick visit to the Internet Movie Database, I learned that he mostly has directed short films and he previously had scripted and helmed one feature. It is titled MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY, and it was released in 2008. So given my reaction to MOONLIGHT, I was compelled to take a look at MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY. Clearly, it is a debut film in that it is well-intentioned but not without flaws. Still, however, it is well-worth seeing, particularly by those who are enamored of MOONLIGHT. 

MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY is a two-character romantic drama. It opens with these characters-- a man and a woman-- awakening one morning. It quickly becomes clear that they met the previous evening at a party. They were drinking heavily and, in the heat of the night, they ended up in bed. So now what happens? Will their “relationship” be nothing more than a quickie one-night-only sexual encounter? Or will it develop into something more? Also, who exactly are they? What are their backgrounds? What are their occupations? And indeed, what are their names?

As these characters get to know each other, we get to know them and one can see how, cinematically-speaking, MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY is a precursor of MOONLIGHT. For one thing, Jenkins puts forth the same sense of style and pacing that saturates MOONLIGHT. This also is the case for the characters and how they define themselves in their worlds. Plus, Jenkins effectively employs soundtrack music to establish and sustain a mood.

Granted, some of the narrative threads in MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY are way-too-obvious. For example, one involves a wallet that is far-too-conveniently lost and found. But clearly, the talent is there and one has to wonder: If MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY segued into MOONLIGHT, what will MOONLIGHT lead to?

Rob Edelman has authored or edited several dozen books on film, television, and baseball. He has taught film history courses at several universities and his writing has appeared in many newspapers, magazines, and journals. His frequent collaborator is his wife, fellow WAMC film commentator Audrey Kupferberg.

The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.

Related Content