Winter's Bone

Television, Movies Games and Books Non Science Fiction
#1

The film awarded Sundance’s annual grand jury prize can so often be an obtuse art house film that comes across slightly boring, I’ve fallen into a habit on putting winners on my viewing back burner if they win. My loss and my mistake for doubting this one. It’s been years since I found a movie truly suspenseful.

Watch it now or wait for the Oscar nominations, then watch it.

Of interest to Watercoolers: Jennifer Lawrence is the new, younger, Mystique replacing Rebecca Romijn in that role for X-Men: First Class. Watch this movie to see why she was cast, not due to a required passing resemblance to Romijn, but in all likelihood bested the competition in her screen test.

Whether or not this 21 year old actor in a non-corporate indie film gets a best actor nomination by the Academy, she is one of the best actors of her generation. More likely are nominations for best supporting actor to John Hawkes as Teardrop Dolly and best adapted screenplay to writer/director Debra Granik.

Hey Bryan Singer! Jennifer Lawrence is your Starbuck. (if Starbuck is going to be a woman again) :slight_smile:

LA Times: Teen girls in film showcase true grit

//youtu.be/bE_X2pDRXyY

#2

I saw Winter’s Bone and I think it’s good and Jennifer Lawrence is REALLY good, but definately overrated. Good setup but the supporting characters seem so needlessly vile and contemptuous and then without much in the way of explaination seem to help her out. I have a problem naturally with movies about poverty because most filmmakers wallow in pity or misunderstanding what it means to be poor. Winter’s Bone tries to understand but seems to misunderstand these communities. Bree’s family would have been pushed out or completely assimilated before her quest to find her dad.

#3

Not if snubbed by the Oscars. A real chance it will. I noticed Kathryn Bigelow, last year’s best director, has endorsed the film to the Academy. That will help. I completely overlooked this one, only this month’s dark horse Oscar buzz brought it to my attention.

Good setup but the supporting characters seem so needlessly vile and contemptuous and then without much in the way of explaination seem to help her out.

Teardrop slowly comes around because he’s her uncle and loves his brother. That doesn’t change his situation of being a hardened criminal whose days are numbered by his own admission. Being addicted to his own product aggravates everything he does.

The rest are indirectly complicit to directly guilty in whatever happened to her father. Without giving the plot away, the movie implies that includes all of them excluding Laura Palmer. Clues are given but I think the best facet to the movie is the whodunnit aspect is not the point of the movie.

I have a problem naturally with movies about poverty because most filmmakers wallow in pity or misunderstanding what it means to be poor. Winter’s Bone tries to understand but seems to misunderstand these communities.

I’ve never been to the Ozarks. I don’t know any methamphetamine cookers. But I’ve visited places that are carbon copy similar to what is depicted. When you step in their yard you better have a good reason why. And that was my distant cousins! This is the first acting credit for much of the supporting cast and the film was shot entirely on location where the story is set. I’m not sure how better to un-Hollywood-ize this particular movie.

Bree’s family would have been pushed out or completely assimilated before her quest to find her dad.

The resolution is only-in-fiction convenient but the movie sure makes you sweat before its get there.

#4

Don’t get me wrong, I thought the movie was good. I have been a fan of John Hawkes (Teardrop) since Deadwood. I guess my complaints with the movie are simply that something felt wrong in how the story was being told and after the awful Frozen River (a movie endorsed by none other than Tarrantino), movies dealing with this subject matter has me a little defensive. I like Jennifer Lawrence and she really has a future I think. This director has made an efficient movie but not one that lived up to the massive amount of hype around it. But what’s great is that there are people out there who don’t see things like me and those are the ones who will keep the torch for movies like this. All art should be appreciated by someone.

#5

Woops I was premature, okay this week Jennifer Lawrence is overrated, or overhyped as you like. This week she is princess of Hollywood and darling of the press. After the Golden Globes and her viral video Jersey Shore imitations, MTV is practically stalking her. And all this only days into what will become one of the most aggressive publicity assaults of the year for X-Men: First Class. Although January Jones in her… costumes will receive the bulk of attention more so than the ancillary character of young Mystique.

It goes to show how badly the hype machine needs a fresh, open and honest face after so much dysfunctional misbehavior this past year by the already famous. Shades of Julia Roberts just before Pretty Woman.

Still, the $2m Winter’s Bone made $6m in initial release. Handicappers are predicting a minimum four Oscar nominations including best actress and best film. Unlikely any wins, save for screenplay, realized from those nominations, but this will shift future attention and future resources to other deserving independent films… for a little short while before the industry resumes making $200m movies. With the publicity and already won awards, Winter’s Bone is making that $2m back every few hours from home video revenue.

At any rate, I’m satisfied there’s no way now Bryan Singer could possibly overlook Jennifer Lawrence as a potential Starbuck. Or hay, even Sheba should Starbuck be male once again. All said and done, the omission of the character Sheba in Ron Moore’s re-imagining Battlestar didn’t really detract from the series, but still left a vacancy for what could have been a great contribution to the ensemble.

Jennifer Lawrence, seen to the right, as scaly blue teen aged Mystique:

#6

DohIshouldhavebetmoneydratitallandtarnation! :slight_smile:

Getting nominated is vastly easier than grabbing any wins, especially when the competition is the Coen brothers and Sorkin. But two fingers crossed for John Hawkes, he has a real shot. I can’t begrudge any losses for Winter’s Bone, amazing movies all around this year.

Jessica Lawrence is the second youngest best actress nominee in Academy history. A perfect excuse to watch Whale Rider again.