Willem Dafoe Shows His Warmer Side in This Lovely A24 Drama

The big picture

• Performance by Willem Dafoe in
  The Florida Project
  shows his ability to embody a genuine, endearing and complex character.
• Bobby Hicks, played by Dafoe, serves as a mentor and protector to the vulnerable children living at the motel.
• Dafoe's portrayal of Bobby shows a vulnerability and humanity not usually seen in his previous roles, highlighting his versatility as an actor.

The surest sign is when Willem Dafoe appears in a movie. One of the best actors working today, Dafoe has never mailed in a performance, no matter the genre, scale or quality of the film. That's not to say the 4-time Oscar-nominated actor puts on a pretentious display of a maniacal, tortured artist. Every interview and vision outside his camera it shows him as a kind and humble star. Despite his off-screen persona, Dafoe has made a name for himself playing sinister and ominous characters, often as the villain, in films over the past 40 years. One of his duties, as the manager of the well-to-do and watchful motel The Florida Project, suggests that his warmer side is untapped.

Willem Dafoe has a history of playing oddballs and villains

Throughout his prolific screen acting career that continues today, including his acclaimed performance in Yorgos Lanthimos' poor things – Dafoe specializes in playing heavy and eccentric. He emerged in the 1980s as the antagonist of William Friedkinthe propulsive cat-and-mouse thriller, Live and die in LAi Walter Hillthe neo-noir crime thriller, Streets of Fire. Oliver Stone i Martin Scorsese she brought out a more emotional side to her screen presence while retaining her seductive mystique section i The last temptation of Christ, respectively. An actor of his stature had no qualms playing a comic book supervillain Sam Raimi's spider man spiderman. Since his turn as the Green Goblin was so iconic, there was no question that he needed to return to the role Spider-Man: No Way Home. Dafoe, who began his career in 1975, becoming a mainstay in the films of Wes Anderson, Robert Eggersi Paul Schradershe brings a youthful energy to the screen in her wide range of supporting performances.

The Florida Projectthe film of the indie visionarySean Bakeris a slice-of-life narrative that follows the summer adventures of a six-year-old girl, Moonee (Brooklynn Kimberly Prince), while enjoying the pleasure and innocence of life at a budget motel in Kissimmee, Florida, just outside Walt Disney World. Moonee's day-to-day life with her friends is juxtaposed with the reality of her unemployed single mother, Halley (Bria Vinaite), who encounters the difficulties of an impoverished lifestyle. The Florida Project borders the documentary in its plotless structure and the raw representation of an ignored pocket of society. Baker's film asks the viewer to reflect on America's class struggle from an objective, non-judgmental perspective. The camera moves with the ease of one of the Robert Altmanexpansive and eclectic studies.

Willem Dafoe is the heart of “The Florida Project” by Sean Baker

Sitting at the center of the story is Willem Dafoe as Bobby Hicks, the manager of the film's themed motel, Magic Castle, which is a permanent place of hospitality for most residents. His weight and gravity are noticeably present in this film, as in most The Florida ProjectThe cast of 's were not professional actors. In a smooth effort, Dafoe, who received an Oscar nomination for his performance, hides his fame and becomes one with Baker's surroundings. The actor declared in a GQ interview that he saw the film as “an opportunity not to be an actor”. He was motivated by Baker's blend of fiction and real life, as the cast and crew were learning about this particular setting during production. Even for the most skilled actors, stripping away the artifice of acting to play a “real” person naturally exhibits a performance. Attentive viewers can identify when an actor is trying to be “real,” but Dafoe's transformation into an embodiment of cinéma vérité is exceptional.

Besides being the manager of this budget motel outside the realm where dreams are made, Bobby serves as Moonee's guardian and his friends, Scooty (Christopher Rivera) and Dicky (Aiden Malik), which do not have adequate parental supervision. This is not to suggest that Bobby's relationship with the children is entirely amicable, as they provide a litany of headaches for the manager, such as when the children cut off the power to the motel or when they harass tourists. Regardless, he, along with the audience, sympathizes with Moonee and her friends as they are concerned. That's why, when he's not busy crunching the numbers on the motel's finances or collecting child support for his son, Jack (Caleb Landry Jones), is chasing drug dealers and soliciting sex work on his property.

This character dynamic of a prominent adult figure looking for a group of random kids invites the possibility of condescending or hokey storytelling, but Baker's voice is too mature and nuanced to fall into cliché traps. Dafoe's magnetic screen presence ties the whole picture together. Striking a balance between sympathy and severity in his portrayal of the motel managerDafoe's three-dimensional performance drives The Florida Project. Even if the character is presented as a cut-and-dry archetype, the rugged adult mentor to aimless kids, watching Bobby try to maintain order by running his business and protecting the kids is captivating, especially through Baker's expressive camera. He's not perfect either, as his distant relationship with his son is a void in his life.

Willem Dafoe's humanity and vulnerability in 'The Florida Project' have not been exploited

Dafoe's ability to hold the screen, as when the camera follows Bobby walking through the parking lot as he announces that the power is back on, conveys his endearing humanity. In this scene, Baker immediately states that helping people is his calling card. He will express frustration while performing household chores and dealing with various annoyances, but eventually, he is pleased to hear the appreciation of the residents. Bobby thwarting a stranger, suggested by the film as a child predator, to harm the children of the lawn conveys his eternal guardianship. Bobby is also shown to be exhausted. As I smoked and looked at the parking lot, his inner sadness resonates. The public is exposed to a limited amount of information about his background and personal life, but you think he deserves something better.

Because of his vulnerability, Bobby can hardly be classified as an uncompromising, harsh dictator, even when we see him evicting residents or diligently enforcing motel policy. An exchange between Bobby and Halley, which shows the latter paying her rent, succinctly portrays him as a strict but indulgent figure. Halley is insulted by Bobby counting the money he handed her moments ago, as he hints that he's scamming her. As Bobby continues to count the money, is affected by Halley's offended response. Bobby hopes that human decency goes both ways and wants to prove that he is not their enemy.

Willem Dafoe's pervasive benevolence and desire to make the best of everything The Florida Project it unlocks an untapped source of the actor's humanity. The role transcends the idea that Dafoe's participation in the film was merely a demonstration of casting against type, as he transfers his innate charm and gravitas into a funny and heartbreaking story. Although he is usually excellent in these parts, Dafoe is often cast as a character with sinister undertones. You wouldn't want to walk into their manic sailor The Lighthouse or his mad scientist poor things like your caretaker at a motel. If he is not a forbidding presence, then he has an unknowable quality, which helps him deliver a mesmerizing performance as Jesus. The last temptation of Christ or any film as a member of the unofficial Wes Anderson Stock Company. Dafoe's previous work suggests he is incapable of reflected vulnerability The Florida Project. In the end, Sean Baker's film proves that he is equipped to play quieter roles, such as Bobby Hicks.

The Florida Project is available to stream on Netflix in the United States

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