During the period after the Second World War, a strand of neorealism rose through the ranks in cinema, primarily in Italy. Neorealism grounds itself in the real world, shooting on location, casting predominantly non-professional actors, and embracing a style of cinematography closer to that of a documentary. Its influence can be keenly felt in The Florida Project, the latest from director Sean Baker.

The Florida-set film's focus is on the Magic Castle, a budget motel in the shadow of the Magic Kingdom. The narrative revolves around six-year-old Moonee who lives there with her mother, Halley, and chronicles a summer spent exploring the surrounding areas, making new friends, and irritating the other residents.

The Florida Project is a fascinating film that marks Baker as one of the finest directors of his generation. Having made an impact on the indie scene with the filmed-on-an-iPhone Tangerine, he here approaches a difficult subject tastefully and crafts one of the finest, most quietly devastating films of the year. The film poses difficult questions but never feels the need to preach about them, leaning away from the misery that awards contenders have in the past embraced. The focus is entirely on Moonee and her friends, and Baker skilfully directs these child actors. Moonee is often surrounded by troubling events, but these play out in the background. This doesn't prevent the film from being a wrenching experience but keeps it all the more watchable and engaging. Added to this the film has a strikingly gorgeous look from Alexis Zabe; a plethora of bold colours are adopted. This is to be expected from the director of photography on the music video for Pharrell Williams' 'Happy'.

As is the tradition with neorealism, for many in the cast this is their first film, with some even being residents of the real-life Magic Castle. This gives the film a gleam of authenticity that is central to its impact. Of the unknowns, two stand out: Brooklynn Prince is heartbreaking as Moonee, with Baker teasing out a wonderful performance from her; Bria Vinaite, as her mother, doesn't seem a natural fit for a film but works in this context, her unvarnished acting style perfect for The Florida Project. The other stand-out performance comes from Willem Dafoe, and it is here that the films breaks from casting newcomers. The creative decision pays off, with Dafoe electric as the manager of the motel. It is rare to see the actor not play a sinister figure in a narrative, and he is such a warm presence here that he lifts the film up. His performance should be very much up for contention this awards season, and perhaps the greatest quality of it is that he does not overwhelm the film or pull focus from the rest of the cast. He fits perfectly.

I can't stress how necessary a watch The Florida Project is. It is an engaging, often sweet, sometimes devastating drama that addresses a difficult subject without lecturing the audience in the process. This is a truly outstanding piece of cinema.

This is a London Film Festival preview and The Florida Project will be released on Friday 10th November.