|
Winter's Bone
| Released |
17 September 2010 |
| Director |
Debra Granik |
Starring
|
Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Kevin Breznahan, Dale Dickey, Garret Dillahunt, Sheryl Lee, Tate Tayor |
| Writer(s) |
Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini |
Producer(s)
|
Anne Rosellini,
Alix Madigan-Yorkin, |
| Origin |
United States |
| Running Time |
100 minutes |
| Genre |
Drama, thriller |
| Rating |
15A |
|
|
It's a wilderness out there.
The city is often the site of film noir. In fact it's almost always an integral part of it. The term immediately conjures up images of shadowed figures, smoke, darkly lit alleys, hoodlums and criminality. In the mix there's frequently a femme fatale, a double cross, a hard nosed detective and a shoot out. So what does a term like noir have to do with the tale of an impoverished Mid West American girl trying to save her family home?
It turns out quite a lot.
Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) hails from the Missouri, in the Ozark Mountain Range. A place that's very remote, very poor and even tougher than you initially expect. People don't get many chances there and with an ailing barely cognizant mother and two young siblings who aren't even 'cooking age' to care for, Ree has to make her own luck. She dreams of joining the army, escape and travel but the harsh quotidian concerns of her life don't seem to make that a likelihood. Instead, she makes sure her brother and sister attend school and know the necessities of getting by in an unforgiving landscape. She's preparing them.
When her father Jessup skips out on his bail bond, Ree discovers that he's put their house up to subsidise his release. If he doesn't show up for his court date, Ree and her family will lose their house. Daniel Woodrell calls his novel a 'country noir' and adapted to the big screen by screenwriter Anne Rossellini and screenwriter/director Debra Granik it seems exactly that. The cinematography is bright and clear, not noirish in any respect and with none of the city's seedy allure, but you can't but help find Ozark Mountain Range captivatingly stark and beautiful. Even the establishing shots almost feel like a frontierist dream. However, as Ree, in an attempt to find her father, begins to operate in a world of meth dealers and petty criminals you'll begin to understand the noir comparison. The unspoken code of the Dolly clan is as treacherous to cross as that of any urban criminal world and as a heroine Ree is as relentless and resilient as any gumshoe.
It's unusual to see a film of this calibre and there's rarely a misstep. John Hawkes as Teardrop is magnificent and unrecognisably immersed in his role. Dale Dickey as Merab has every hard lesson learned etched into her face and Jennifer Lawrence carries much of the film solo with immense talent. It's remarkable for a film to say so much and Winter's Bone is brimming with meaning even in moments of absolute silence. Winning both the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award and the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance this year Winter's Bone is a must see.
- Cormac O'Brien |
