Winter's Bone

I finally got to see Winter's Bone since I just joined Family Video and it's preposterously cheap to rent movies there. I've wanted to see it for awhile because of the great reviews I heard and I thought it was a good thing to see before the Hunger Games to see Jennifer Lawrence in her breakout role. Winter's Bone is the story of a backwoods family, I thought it was West Virginia, but apparently it was all filmed in Missouri. Jennifer Lawrence plays the 17 year-old daughter who takes take of her younger brother and sister because her mom is incapacitated and a mute and her dad is on the run from the law. Her Dad signs their house and land up to post bond and Jennifer Lawrence must find him before their house it taken away and her family is homeless. You meet various hillbillies, rednecks, whatever you want to call them who resist Lawrence's character (Ree) and do their best to ruin any chance she has of trying to find her dad. It's a dark, brutal look into Ozark life and the strange backwoods way of doing things. Using a great cast of locals and actors I'm sure this was accomplished on a shoestring budget with relative unknowns for everything. I think it's excellent in all aspects, it really has an almost documentary feel, like you're along for the ride in this way of life. Lawrence carries the film as she must as the star in a no-frills film that relies on nothing but the actors and filmography to set the mood. It's very bare bones and gritty, but really it's the only way to convey the mood and way of life.

Bottom Line: 8.9 out of 10. Strong in all ways, just really depressing and dark subject matter throughout, but so well done that you stay involved throughout. Something that should be seen if you don't mind the fact it's not all special effects and action, but human emotions that are the flashy part of this film.