If its depiction in this movie is true to life, then the Ozark Mountain area in Missouri is a pretty messed up place. On the most recent episode of "Real Time with Bill Maher" journalist David Carr referred to Missouri, Kansas, and other middle-America states as the "dance of the low-sloping foreheads". Now, I can't say he was far off, because "Winter's Bone" makes the Ozarks look like a, lets say........strange place, indeed. I think I would rather walk around Beirut after night then check in with my fellow Americans in the Ozarks.
Right, anyway, to the movie. I had heard good things about it, it even got some recognition at the Oscars, even though "The King's Speech" just took everything home anyway. Not too many big names it in, and the director was no one I had ever heard of before. But it was still pretty damn good.
"Winter's Bone" tells the story of a 17-year old girl responsible for raising her two young siblings because her mother is in a persistent catatonic state and her father is long gone. Well, turns out she has to find her father, or else they will lose their house, since he put it up for his bond but skipped his court date. Nice dad. So begins the odyssey through what has to be one of America's creepier places. The women are pretty butched-out, people talk about cooking meth like it is an actual job, and everybody still calls the police "the law". Yikes. I think this setting is what made the story so interesting. It is part of America that one rarely ever hears about, but visiting it, or so it appears, would be akin to visiting another country......a third world one.
The acting all around was very good. Again, I can really attest to any of these actors' previous work, this is the first time I ran across them. Jennifer Lawrence plays the lead role, and does a very nice job. I think she was up for best actress award, and it was a deserving nomination. Her creeping, cocaine-snorting, chain-smoking uncle is played by a guy named John Hawkes, and I really liked his character. It was good to such performances from actors rarely ever heard about.
An interesting story, a fascinating (in a car-accident kind of way) setting, and overall solid performances made "Winter's Bone" a decent viewing.
Verdict: See it Grade: A
If you liked this movie you might also like: Skinning squirrels, making meth in your kitchen, and speaking grammatically incorrect English
Right, anyway, to the movie. I had heard good things about it, it even got some recognition at the Oscars, even though "The King's Speech" just took everything home anyway. Not too many big names it in, and the director was no one I had ever heard of before. But it was still pretty damn good.
"Winter's Bone" tells the story of a 17-year old girl responsible for raising her two young siblings because her mother is in a persistent catatonic state and her father is long gone. Well, turns out she has to find her father, or else they will lose their house, since he put it up for his bond but skipped his court date. Nice dad. So begins the odyssey through what has to be one of America's creepier places. The women are pretty butched-out, people talk about cooking meth like it is an actual job, and everybody still calls the police "the law". Yikes. I think this setting is what made the story so interesting. It is part of America that one rarely ever hears about, but visiting it, or so it appears, would be akin to visiting another country......a third world one.
The acting all around was very good. Again, I can really attest to any of these actors' previous work, this is the first time I ran across them. Jennifer Lawrence plays the lead role, and does a very nice job. I think she was up for best actress award, and it was a deserving nomination. Her creeping, cocaine-snorting, chain-smoking uncle is played by a guy named John Hawkes, and I really liked his character. It was good to such performances from actors rarely ever heard about.
An interesting story, a fascinating (in a car-accident kind of way) setting, and overall solid performances made "Winter's Bone" a decent viewing.
Verdict: See it Grade: A
If you liked this movie you might also like: Skinning squirrels, making meth in your kitchen, and speaking grammatically incorrect English
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