I have no desire to see any goddamn thing about ‘vampires’ or ‘werewolves’ – and if I did, I’d watch any one of a bunch of movies made years or decades ago about this subject matter that were much better and didn’t involve melodramatic ‘teen angst’ or a cheap nipple thrill or two. I don’t want to watch some sub-standard remake of an 80’s classic that can never really be trumped (i.e. The Karate Kid or the original A-Team show) simply because of nostalgia or the fact that a 2000’s era redux with improved ‘this’ and specialized ‘that’ just kills part of the idea of why the original was so appealing to begin with (the ‘camp’ factor and old-school budget aspect of making that stuff back then).
I don’t want to watch another generic action flick with ridiculous, impossible high-flying stuntery that’s basically predictable, formulaic and only entertaining because of awesome special effects. I’m not somebody who goes to a movie theater primarily because a movie’s EFX kick major arse. There are exceptions to every rule, of course. Toy Story 3 was great, continuing a recent trend of grown adults taking more enjoyment in movies intended for children than ever before. Don’t get it twisted - TS3 is one of the most well-received flicks of 2010. I also am very curious to see Inception, the new psychological drama/action pic starring Leo DiCaprio. People either seem to love it or walk from it not knowing what the hell just happened, and needing another viewing to gauge how they really feel about what just transpired. But by and large, I shake my head a resounding ‘no’ to most of what Hollywood pumps out these days.
So what do I find myself going to see for the most part? Well, usually it’s either a comedy that looks genuinely funny (few and far between, unfortunately), something utterly depressing or a bit more on the sentimental side, but grounded in reality and emotion (i.e. “Winter’s Bone”, “Cyrus” or “City Island”), or a riveting or highly informative documentary (i.e. “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work”).
Don’t get me wrong – there’s plenty of flicks out there masquerading as high art or overly intellectualized, important pieces of film that are, in reality, just meandering, boring messes. But the indie flicks I mention above are all very strong in their own way and worth checking out in a year that’s been fairly short so far on quality big-screen works.
“Winter’s Bone” especially gets a nod for its dark, ambitious storyline (enough to depress a person by description of its synopsis alone), its outstanding acting and its unique glimpse at an uncompromising, downtrodden way of life that’s not often featured for public consumption (the ultra-poor and the crystal meth-dealers/users that inhabit the most desolate, dark corners of the Ozark Mountain area of Missouri). This flick is getting early Oscar buzz, and rightfully so, especially for the watershed performance of 17-year-old Jennifer Lawrence. She plays the lead character, Ree Dolly, a somewhat desperate but nowhere-near-hopeless teenager raising her two younger siblings while her mentally unstable mother sits around the house in a catatonic state and her meth-cooking/dealing on-the-lam father (who has put the house and property up for bond) has been released from jail. What transpires is a stirring tale of bravery and courage on the part of the main character as she is essentially caught up in a me-against-the-world scenario. Ree is trying to find her father in efforts to save what little her family has left while shady, tight-lipped locals and extended family members eye her with a sense of something more sinister than a mere ‘self-preservation’ type of caution. Gripping stuff.
What maybe makes Lawrence’s performance so impressive are the human subtleties and complexities with which she plays the main character. A 17-year-old in her position would be understandably and justifiably angry 90-95 percent of the time were this a real-life counterpart story unfolding before us. But as a girl mature way beyond her years would do, she saves the explosiveness for scenes and situations that deserve those emotions, while showing an unimaginable range of other convincing but realistic emotions for someone unwillingly caught up in her situation (vulnerability, sadness, desperation, guile, cunning and a will to live/succeed that won’t be topped by anything).
Don’t expect to walk away from “Winter’s Bone” whistling a happy tune. But you can probably expect that you won’t wish you had the last two hours of your life back, as you might after seeing the most recent ‘Twilight’ movie or ‘Jonah Hex.’
It’s a haunting experience that will possibly stay with you for a few days, but unfortunately, movies like this are far too infrequent in these times. Oh and it probably isn’t playing in a whole bunch of theaters either, so if you’re lucky enough to live in or near a city that plays indie, ballsy stuff, do yourself a favor and don’t miss this.
On a final note, after having seen this movie and upon reflection comparing it to other works similar in subject matter but dissimilar in setting, there’s something seemingly more depressing about the prospect of in-the-woods, redneck poverty compared to the plight of the urban poor. Don’t get me wrong – both appear to suck hard (fortunately for me, I don’t speak from experience). But at least in urban areas there are a greater number of opportunities, organizations and people who are attempting to help the less fortunate. In the world of “Winter’s Bone” (or at least the filmmakers would have us believe), there’s nothing but a code of silence and an unwillingness by anyone to deviate from the don’t-ask-don’t-tell attitude of these folks who are either defeated by life or blissfully ignorant in their microcosm of drugs, alcohol, public assistance and an inability or lack of motivation to live a better life. This is powerful stuff, so beware.
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