I guess it shouldn't be surprising that in perhaps the most boring summer movie season ever, the best film of the summer is not a blockbuster, but a small independent film. In many ways, the twists and turns of a film like Winter's Bone far surpass any excitement to be found in the paint-by-numbers blockbuster mentality of Iron Man 2. It might be blasphemous to suggest that you should skip seeing The Karate Kid or The A-Team this week in favor of a movie with no explosions, no quippy dialog, and no kung fu atop the Great Wall, but that's what I'm going to do. There's no denying that Winter's Bone isn't for everybody, but those who will appreciate it will get infinitely more from Winter's Bone than anyone could ever get from any other blockbuster released so far this year.From the opening shots, you get a good sense of the kind of film you're in for. Lingering shots of the Ozarks, set to the haunting vocals of folk singer Marideth Sisco help to give us a sense of both mood and place. From this opening, the film wastes no time setting up the stakes: Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) is a 17 year old taking care of two younger siblings and a mother who is a shell of her former self. When the sheriff comes by and informs her that her father skipped town while on bond, she has a week to find him or lose her home. It's a simple enough premise, and the premise itself is simply a way to explore the world and characters, as well as explore the darker side of family bonds. By about halfway through the film, I was caring less and less about the resolution to the plot, and more and more about the details of the world of the film.
Indeed, this is a film so filled with intimate details about the world the characters live in, it may take a few viewings to take them all in. The cinematography is starkly beautiful, soaking in all the nuances of the Ozarks and its people. One of my favorite moments has nothing to do with anything, and yet it will stick with me all year: aforementioned Marideth Sisco and a group of compatriots simply sit around in a circle singing folk songs in a rundown little house while Ree wanders in looking for her father. Any other film would have made this scene about what Ree might learn about her dad, but Winter's Bone makes it as much about the people populating Ree's life as it does the plot details.
The film works for any number of reasons, but reason number one is Jennifer Lawrence. Tasked with the job of carrying the entire film, she soars. So much of the performance is internal; as we watch the events of the film take their toll on the heroine, we can see how it is wearing her down mentally. Ree never comes across as outwardly desperate, but we can see in here eyes just how little hope she has of finding her father in time. Facing one obstacle after another - many of which take the form of menacing estranged family members - Ree is so determined yet sorrowful. It's not the kind of performance that has an easy Oscar clip, instead keeping a consistent and engrossing tenor throughout. If there is one standout moment, it would surely be when Ree goes to see a military recruiter. So much is going on in that scene: a desire to simply escape the life she's been forced into, the need to take care of her family financially, and the way it reveals how young and naive she still really is. The last few years have seen a plethora of great young actresses emerging - Gabourey Sidibe, Ellen Page, Carey Mulligan, Saoirse Ronan to name but a few- and Lawrence is as good as any of them. Let's hope this is the start of a long career.
The other half of the acting equation is John Hawkes. Hawkes has turned in stellar work in supporting roles for years, but here he has truly great material to work with. We initially think he is nothing but another obstacle for Ree. His character of Teardrop is the brother of Ree's father, and his connection to his brother slowly consumes him. Like Ree, he can't let his brother simply disappear, becoming desperate to know where the man went. Where Lawrence is internal, Hawkes gets to be a bit more showy. Anger and rage permeates the character, but beneath it all is a deep sadness. We get the sense that Ree never knew her father as anything other than a failure, but Teardrop knew him as a brother, and as such he feels protective of him. Hawkes makes you feel as though Teardrop's very soul is on the line, that he needs to find his brother more than even Ree does. It's powerful and understated work.
Director Debra Granik has constructed a well done thriller, tapping into ideas of family bonds, revenge, and the fulfillment of one's potential. There are moments here that will rank among the year's most memorable. The film's chainsaw wielding climax is the kind of sequence that sticks with you long after the film is finished. Winter's Bone is not an action movie, and it's not a high octane thrill ride. What it is, though, is a strong character piece that knows how to scare you, shock you, surprise you, and entertain you.
