baltadespina Worst movie ever. There was no reason to shoot such a scenario...

elgabote I really wanted to see Dafoe on this movie, I like a lot his acting, but I couldn't stand the boring (nonexistent) story, and the detestable characters. I tried to hold on and wait to see if there was a point to all this but I couldn't keep watching, half an hour and I didn't enjoying it a bit. Well, I liked the photography to certain point, but definitely not enough to watch the whole thing. Maybe I will be missing a good story development, but half an hour hating the movie is too much to continue watching. At least, a really bad 30 initial minutes. Cant judge the rest of the movie.EDIT: After writing this review, I've read more reviews to see what's the general feeling, and I got curious about the ending. Terribly filmed, not great at all in content. Glad I skipped the hour and quarter. I would lower the rating now, but I've already wasted enough time on this movie.

jsph_calabrese Writer and director Sean Baker (Tangerine) thrives telling stories about marginalized places in society, and he always opts for empathy over judgement calls in exploring the lives of his broken characters. While Willem Dafoe is great in this movie, and his presence is needed as a grounded and warm figure, Baker's employment of non-actors for most other roles is both impressive (they're convincing) and adds an extremely powerful element of realism.This honest look into severe poverty and homelessness may have been too hard to stomach if it wasn't viewed through the curious, humorous, and life-affirming perspective of Moonee, who is as much a Disney Princess as Snow White, Cinderella, or Little Mermaid. The duality of Orlando is thought-provoking and the central thesis here could very well be that "the most magical place on earth" is inside a child's mind, not a theme park.

Leslie Cole Willem Dafoe is the glue that holds all of the other pieces together in "The Florida Project." Without Dafoe, who plays the even-keeled motel manager Bobby Hicks, this cinema verité styled film would disintegrate into loosely tied together improvisational scenes featuring non professional and first time actors. Dafoe is at his best when his character struggles to manage the moral dilemmas he's presented at the hands of the guests of his "Magic Castle Motel," most of which are more like permanent residents. At times he is a strict disciplinarian and rule enforcer. At other times he is a playful and compassionate guardian. Waiting to see which part of Bobby's personality emerges in the middle of any of his many guests' crises proves to be just as nail bitingly anxious as the unraveling of their eventual fates.