Sometimes I forget just how big America is. There are parts of this country that bear so little resemblance to where I live that it might as well be a different country on the other side of the world. I felt this way when I first saw Fargo. I was just fascinated by how these people talked, acted and even looked. It was just so wonderfully bizarre to me. I felt the same when while watching today's movie, Winter's Bone, set dab in the middle of The Ozarks.
Winter's Bone is about a girl named Ree Dolly just trying to survive. She's in charge of the household taking care of her two siblings and her sick mother. Her father is a meth-cooker and hasn't been around since forever. Ree and her family are living in poverty, relying on the help of her neighbors for food. She even has to give away the family horse. One day the sheriff comes by and says that her father Jessup is due for court and that the house is part of the bond. If he doesn't show up they'll have to take away the house. She responds firmly, "I'll find him."
A fascinating element of this film is that we are transported smack dab in the middle of this small community where everybody knows each other and very little needs explanation. This allows the film to unravel layer by layer, revealing a little bit at a time through each character and each conversation. We learn that Jessup and his meth cooking is well known throughout the community and that everybody seems to be in on it in some way or another. There is a hushed silence when his name is brought up and Ree is barking up the wrong tree, sticking her nose where it doesn't belong.
In watching Ree's sort of odyssey throughout Winter's Bone we see two of the film's greatest assets, the strength and determination of Ree and the The Ozarks itself which is so perfectly captured in look and feel. I'll talk about Ree first. Jennifer Lawrence gives a powerful performance as an ordinary heroine. She feels so real, so authentic and boy, does she look tough. Growing up in a community of roughnecks and criminals, Ree cannot show the slightest weakness, which is what makes her one scene of vulnerability so jarring. Alone in the woods with her comatose mother, she asks for help knowing no one can answer her and she allows herself to cry. The rest of the time she defiantly confronts adults with no fear. In her toughest scene, after being roughed up, her tormentors ask her, "What do we do with you?" to which she replies, "Why don't you just kill me... or help me."
Like Fargo, Winter's Bone is all about the setting. It's about the distinctive way they talk. It's about the way they look and the way they dress. It's about the poverty stricken backwards community. It is also about the little things, like hunting for squirrels and plucking at the banjo.
This film is gritty and real, kind of like if The Wire but set in The Ozarks, ha. It's mostly restrained, but also has its powerful moments too. I enjoyed the film, particularly in its characters and setting, but as far as actual story telling goes, it won't really excite, though it may chill. I won't go as far as to say it is mesmerizing, but it certainly is captivating and makes sure to grab hold of your attention.
Grade: B+
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