Winter's Bone ((NO SPOILERS))
You end up sounding like a bad reviewer simply because you don't want to give away too much and ruin the film for others. Like Hitchcock did with 'Psycho', you can't tell people they shouldn't be allowed to see it if they are late and they shouldn't give away it's secrets to their friends. Just tell them 'You should go see "Psycho"'.
But that's never enough and I'm not Hitchcock so I don't think me just saying "Go see 'Winter's Bone'" will get much of a reaction. I will at least set it up for you. First off, the whole damn movie was like a long audition for Jennifer Laurence to play 'Kattniss' in "The Hunger Games".
(http://cinematixyz.livejournal.com/39400.html#comments).
Here, she plays 17 year old Ree, the eldest of three poor (nearly destitute) children deep in the Meth Belt Ozarks. Her father is a deadbeat meth manufacturer (as it seems is every other person in this film, so steeped is that area on the stuff. It's just like Moonshine down South, four and a half score years back).
Due to her dad being a deadbeat and her life being a miserable one, Ree's mother has long since gone mad. She is nearly comatose, awake and alive, but doesn't talk much and is like a third child that Ree must care for. Our story begins when Ree's Dad bonds out of jail by putting their house and all their land up for collateral without telling his family. The Police and bail bondsmen inform her of this and that if he doesn't make it to court, she and the three member's of her kin that she cares for will be out in the cold Missouri winter with all their animals. Ree vows that will not happen on her watch and sets off to find her dad and MAKE him go to court so she and the family will be alright and not freezing in the gutter.
And that is where I have to stop. Sorry.
Based on the spellbinding book by Daniel Woodrell with Debra Granik directing and sharing screenwriting credits with Anne Rosellini and the original author (I just love to see strong women screenwriters and directors, especially one that does both!), "Winter's Bone" lets Jennifer Laurence embody 'Ree' from beginning to end. There are strong supporting performances from Dale Dickey, John Hawkes, and Sheryl Lee (yes, as in 'Who killed Laura Palmer?' Sheryl Lee).
As for the rest of the cast and crew, the production team scouted locations and people in Forsyth, Missouri. Even with it's low budget, I can only imagine the money this production pumped into that little town, a town that obviously needed it. All the houses and properties were rented locally, half the crew and 75% of the actors were all local folks that came into the town's lone auditorium to audition. So they have not just that deep and very particular accent, but the look of a people that either don't eat enough or don't eat the right foods and the look of people so poor they cut their own hair, make due with old and ripped jackets, and that kind of life ages and hardens the face. There was no way they could have gotten that cast in Hollywood. And they were all amazing because they were believable. They knew those mountains and trees, going for generations back. I can't tell you how happy and pleased I am that they used locals in most cases and helped the economy of a small town that needed the boast.
Anyway, you can think I am a shitty film reviewer for leaving it at that, but you will thank me after you see the film. Also, if you comment and have seen the film or read the book, please try not to give away any of the 'goodies' in your comments so others can see the film fresh and without knowing the plot.
(For the curious, I used this Icon because Holly Golightly was originally an 'Okie', remember?)
See you on the Silver Screen,
Zuzu