Part of Dastardly Difficult December: film nr.25

Beasts of the Southern Wild sucker punched me while I had my guard down. I knew next to nothing about it, but I wasn't really ready for this fable-like slice of magical realism.

The simplest stories are often the most interesting. This one's unique protagonist describes it best herself: 'Future scientists will know, there was a girl named Hushpuppy who lived with her father in the Bathtub.' That phrase will carry an emotional depth with it as well as a deeper meaning after you've watched this film.

This is a film about life, about being firmly rooted in the world and the place you live, about family and the self-evident strength of the…

Being the darling of the Sundance film festival can often be more of a curse than a blessing. Beasts of the Southern Wild arrives on a tidal wave of gushing critical praise, and the occasional criticism of its fetishization of the poor, but I was left a little nonplussed by the whole affair. It’s a hard film to describe - it’s part plaintive magical realism and part apocalyptic fable. A Cajun coming-of-age yarn about a six-year-old girl, Hushpuppy, living with her ill father in the flood threatened bayou surrounded by broad and colourful characters who have slipped through the cracks and formed their own ramshackle community ignored and forgotten by the rest of the world.

As a first feature, director…

Film #35 of Cinebro's "100 Reviews in 30 Days? Somewhere, Pauline Kael Weeps" Challenge

A beautiful, moving, wonderfully acted, but woefully misguided film, Beasts of the Southern Wild is damn near impossible for me to review.

But before I go off on a rant, let me cover the good stuff (and there's a lot). Benh Zeitlin has created a gorgeous film, the kind of movie that I think David Gordon Green would still be making if he had stepped away from the bong. It is elegiac, contemplative, and features one of the most fascinating child performances (from Quvenzhané Wallis) that I've ever seen. In its recreation of an isolated delta community, the set design is astounding. Its keen ear towards…

This is probably the most interesting and thought-provoking film I've seen all year. By saying that, I don't endorse everything about it, but I found it to be enjoyable and refreshing. The brightspot of Beasts of the Southern Wild is little powerhouse Quvenzhane Wallis' portrayal of 6-year old Hushpuppy. Hers is probably the strongest performance by a child actor I've ever seen. I might be biased because she's so ridiculously cute and charming, but seriously, if you are disagreeing with me, do you have a soul? She's like instant happiness in an adorable little package.

My assumption going into this was that Beasts is supposed to be some sort of depiction of post-Katrina Louisiana Bayou. It's about a six year…

After a storm rips through their home, Hushpuppy and Wink sit in their makeshift raft, heads over the stern, intent on reeling in their dinner. This is a lesson for Hushpuppy. Wink teaches her to bait the fish, reel it into the boat, and then bludgeon it to death. Watching Beasts of the Southern Wild, I couldn't help but to empathize with the fish.

I took the bait. A Sundance favorite, rave reviews, beautiful imagery impeccably shot on 16mm. Once in the film, I was assaulted with everything Ben Zeitlin's got. Between the swaggering and swaying camera, voice over narration and score, the film feels like a montage consisting of nothing but emotional high points. As a film about a…

Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild was a relatively small indie project responsible for quite an uproar during awards season. Nominated for multiple Oscars and lauded universally, he created a real hit in the critical community, but its supposed greatness I'm unfortunately blind to. Zeitlin is without a doubt a gifted world-creator and if there is one thing Beasts has going for it it's the gorgeous scenery. Sizzling in the humid heat of the Deep South and surrounded by huge bodies of water, the “Bathtub” is wonderfully detailed and has a strong authenticity to it. Within that beautiful, but simultaneously grim backdrop lives Hushpuppy with her Dad, seemingly content with their circumstances. When a terrifying storm passes by they find…

This isn't necessarily a great movie but definitely a very good one, and it's one to be seen and lived. The film meanders way too much but all that meandering has a reason as it ends in a very emotionally devastating and poetic but rather not very cohesive manner. The shaky camera work is at times rather annoying as it's hard to see what's going on, and then there are times where it is just beautifully shot. The actors are all very naturalistic and that just made the very devastating story more painful to watch but there really wasn't much depth on either of them including the little girl, who is the main character. Her father was developed very nicely…