2011 Oscars movie Review- Winter's Bone!

I watched the film "Winter's Bone" last night and I was surprised by the lack of publicity it received; especially here in St. Louis. For those of you who, like me, weren't familiar with the film, it is set in the Ozarks or south of the Ozarks. The premise behind the movie is that a 17 year old girl (Ree) has to raise her 12 year old brother and six year old sister because her father has abandoned them to cook methamphetamine and run from the law. The strain this put on the mother was too much and she has had an apparent nervous breakdown and is basically useless as a parent and needs care from Ree as well. The father has an upcoming court date and has used the house and all of his belongings as bond. If he doesn't show up to court, the house will be repossessed and the family will have nothing. So, Ree sets out to find him.

While it is a powerful story that provides both a look at the life of meth cookers, dealers, and users and the culture they create, it also takes a look at the backwoods of Missouri (and presumably other states) and the absolute lack of progress both socially and economically that these areas have made. The setting, characterization, and theme all are first rate and a fresh alternative to the cookie cutter crap that Hollywood throws at us regularly.

I was very impressed by the film and thought it was by far the best I have seen this year so far (with all due respect to the Cohens). The climactic scene was disturbing beyond belief and will stay with you for a while whether you want it to or not. Go see it immediately but don't have the kids around as this is not apprpriate due to violence, drug use, and language.