'Moonlight' represents magical time for black cinema

It sort of creeped up on us -- but we have a renaissance for black cinema on our hands.

We've seen a great diversity of styles and representation -- from the hipster doofuses of Dope to Denzel Washington standing tall and heroic in the all-star multicultural line-up of The Magnificent Seven.

And although it may have its faults, the polarizing Birth of a Nation also heralds the previously untold skills of legitimate directing talent, Nate Parker, regardless of what you may think of him.

Then there's Moonlight -- an unabashed masterpiece, a thing of beauty that will rank among my favorite films of this year.

Written and directed by African-American rising star Barry Jenkins, it's a different kind of coming-of-age story, one like I've never seen before -- and one that is a long time coming.

Some will try to box it in as just a lovingly crafted ode to the struggles of growing up gay and black in America, but it is far more complex and nuanced like that. It share some of its DNA with Boyhood, in that it is buoyed by naturalistic acting and humor, but it has a different kind of gravitas and much more visual panache.

It tells the three act story of Chiron -- a painfully shy, bullied boy from a broken home. His story is one that has been painted in broad strokes before. Critics searching for something to nitpick will argue that this is another look at black people pain -- but there is so much more to this film than meets the eye.

Mahershala Ali in Moonlight

Take the Oscar worthy performance of Mahershala Ali as Juan. He is a drug dealer and a fairly ruthless one at that, and yet he never hides the inherent humanity of his character, who emerges an unlikely father figure for our hero.

He has an honest, utterly devastating scene with young Chiron that literally gave me chills.

Another standout performance comes from Trevante Rhodes as adult Chiron. He conveys so much with so little -- his striking physicality a statement in and of itself.

This is a film that makes its presence felt from the very first shot and never lets up. It's got some unbearable tension and powerful emotions, but virtually nothing is overplayed or histrionic.

There is no one way to make a great black film -- as artists like Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay and others have demonstrated time and time again. This winter we're going to be treated to Denzel Washington's Fences and we also have Loving and Hidden Figures on the way too.

And on television there are not just great black shows, but great black shows written, conceived by and starring actual black people! Here's looking at you Insecure, Luke Cage and Atlanta.

Someone I interviewed recently lamented the fact that white people love black culture, but they are just often anti-black people. But a number of recent films have been forcing audiences to confront the people first without losing their authenticity in the process.

It's been inspiring to watch, and Moonlight is a movie to cherish.