Movie Review Monday #16: Winter's Bone

I promised a more serious movie would be reviewed this week, and boy have I delivered. Winter's Bone could not be more serious. It's basically about a teenager, Ree, who has to find her deadbeat father in order to save the house she shares with the comatose mother and two young siblings she cares for in the Ozarks. I'll be honest - I wanted to watch this film in small part because the star, Jennifer Lawrence, was nominated for an Oscar and I wanted to judge her, but more than that, I wanted to see if she was truly worthy of her next major role, which is the lead in The Hunger Games. You may remember from a previous post that I am slightly obsessed with The Hunger Games, so this should come as no surprise. Observations:


1. Sad, sad, sad. Sad. I pitied Jennifer Lawrence's character. So much responsibility on one girl's shoulders. And with a terrible wardrobe too. Sad.
2. You know when movies or TV shows or books are referred to as "gritty dramas"? Well, this was actually a gritty drama, and not just because the filmmaker used a low-res camera and drab filters. I had to look away at moments because it was so intense. Let's just say there's a scene with a chainsaw and a dead body. 
3. I loved the relationship between Ree and her badass (I'm sorry, but there's no better way to describe him) uncle, Teardrop. Not because it was positive all the time, but because it beautifully evolved throughout the film. She was an intense annoyance to him at the beginning, but by the end, he seemed to understand the importance of their family tie and treated her with some respect. 
4. I've never been to the Ozarks, but everything seemed completely realistic. The people, their living conditions, their pastimes, their vernacular. I felt like I was learning about an American subculture. 
5. Jennifer Lawrence is the perfect choice for Katniss in The Hunger Games. She plays quiet, fierce determination, understated beauty, and a raw need to survive well. 


In conclusion, two claws up, though I will probably never watch this again.