Review: American Hustle (2013) – David O. Russell (In Theatres)

AMERICAN HUSTLE: Directed by David O. Russell

A con man, Irving, (Christian Bale) and his girlfriend and partner Sydney, (Amy Adams) are forced to work with FBI agent Richie (Bradley Cooper) on different schemes involving the New Jersey mafia and political figures.

– David O. Russell has made himself one of the must watch directors in Hollywood.  After making THE FIGHTER in 2010, which received some Oscar wins for performances, as well as many other nominations, he made SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK in 2012, a film that also received a lot of attention during awards season.  I loved both of those films, and in basically combining the casts from those two films into AMERICAN HUSTLE, this was a must see for me.

– Along with 12 YEARS A SLAVE, AMERICAN HUSTLE has the most nominations for the upcoming Golden Globes, including: Best Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical), Amy Adams for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical), Christian Bale for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical), Jennifer Lawrence for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, Bradley Cooper for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, David O. Russell for Best Director, and Eric Warren Singer & David O. Russell for Best Screenplay.

– Out of every actor out there, I think Christian Bale transforms himself for each role more than anybody else.  In this, he’s very overweight and unhealthy looking, and also going bald.  Watching him in this role right after seeing OUT OF THE FURNACE and recently seeing him as Batman is truly amazing.  He completely becomes somebody else in every role he plays.  He once again shows why he’s one of the best actors out there.  He was my favourite character in this.  He’s a con man, so he’s a liar and a snake, but he’s also extremely funny and easily controlled by his wife.

– Amy Adams, like Christian Bale, is also amazing at becoming different types of characters.  What makes her even more special is the fact that she doesn’t look very different in each of her roles yet she’s able to become these different people.  Her personality as Sydney is basically the exact opposite of the personality of Amy in HER.  She’s not shy, and being Irving’s partner, she’s also a liar and trickster.  Although she’s never won, she’s been nominated for 4 Oscars, and I’m sure she has a great chance of being nominated once again.

– Bradley Cooper’s Richie reminded me a lot of the character he plays in SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK.  He kind of has the same personality, but it works well in this role…as it did in Silver Linings.  This character is great because he has a very different personality from Irving and Sydney.  He’s the FBI agent who has the two working for him, but he’s so unconfident and hesitant that you don’t know who is running what.

– Lots of people are talking about how Jennifer Lawrence steals the show.  Even though she’s been great in the past (winning an Oscar last year), I’ve never been blown away by any of her performances.  I did think she’s great in this though.  Her character is really funny and I finally see why everybody is going crazy about Lawrence’s acting ability.

– There are two actors in this that I forgot were involved and I was so happy when they both made an appearance.

– The costume choices are perfect.  You really get a feel for the time period and the personalities of the characters.

I really liked AMERICAN HUSTLE, but it didn’t have the same effect that a film like HER had on me.  It’s extremely entertaining, it just didn’t make me think and reflect on it for days after.  This film is filled with great performances and interesting and funny characters.  David O. Russell has made three amazing films in a row, and I’m sure they’ll keep coming because of his ability to keep making films with a brilliant cast.

AMERICAN HUSTLE: 8.5/10

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Review: The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012) – Felix Van Groeningen (In Theatres)

The Broken Circle Breakdown: Directed by Felix Van Groeningen

Didier (Johan Heldenbergh) and Elise (Veerle Baetens) are an unlikely couple who fall in love at first sight.  Didier is in a bluegrass band, and Elise is a tattoo artist.  Didier is an atheist, and Elise is religious.  When their young daughter becomes very ill, the two are tested to keep their relationship from falling apart.

– It’s been submitted for Best Foreign Film for the upcoming Oscars.

– I don’t watch many foreign films and because I usually only watch the well-known ones…I don’t think I’ve ever watched one I didn’t like.

– I must have watched the trailer for this film 20 times.  Definitely my favourite trailer of the year.  The combination of good sounding music and a story about a realistic family was very appealing to me.

– Everyone’s going completely crazy about 12 YEARS A SLAVE and how it’s hard to watch, but I thought this was 100 times harder to watch.  This is one of the saddest and most depressing films I’ve ever seen.

– One of the strongest parts of the film is the soundtrack.  The great music helped balance out the film because without it I don’t know if anybody would be able to handle all the sadness going on.  Another plus is that all the lyrics were in English.

– There wasn’t a shortage of music, but I liked it so much that I wish there was a lot more of it.

– Kind of like in BLUE VALENTINE, the story goes back and forth between the couples beginnings to the present day.  I like this style of storytelling, but it was a little confusing in this.  It happens so frequently that you don’t get a good feel of a particular time that they’re in.

– There’s really strong performances from the two leads, Johan Heldenbergh and Veerle Baetens…but what really impressed me was the performance from their little daughter, played by Nell Cattrysse.  This girl couldn’t have been more than 7 years old when this was filmed and she’s amazing.  She plays one of the most heartbreaking characters I’ve ever seen, and gives a special performance for a girl her age.

I think this is one of the only foreign films I’ve seen in 2013, but I’m really interested to see how it does during awards season.  I absolutely loved the trailer and went into this with extremely high expectations.  Due to the style of going back and forth between the present and future, it was hard to get a real grasp of the relationship between Didier and Elise.  The beginnings of their relationship seemed rushed and fast, and it was hard to get to know them once all the issues arise in their family.  This is definitely a tough watch, but the amazing soundtrack brings some happiness to the film.  The Broken Circle Breakdown deals with a subject that no human should have to deal with…a sick child.  Nell Cattrysse delivers one of the saddest and cutest performances I’ve seen, and it was so heartbreaking to watch.  A good film to me is one that makes you feel some type of emotion…and a great film is one that makes you feel some type of extreme emotion…The Broken Circle Breakdown made me feel extremely sad.

THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN: 8/10

Review: Sunlight Jr. (2013) – Laurie Collyer (VOD)

SUNLIGHT JR.: Directed by Laurie Collyer

– I usually know of all the films that are coming out to theatres, so there’s nothing more exciting than discovering a film that I’ve never heard of with an actor or actress I really like and it being available on VOD right when I discovered it.  This was the case with SUNLIGHT JR, as I like Naomi Watts.

– Melissa (Naomi Watts) and Richie (Matt Dillon) are a couple living in an extremely poor neighborhood in Florida.  Melissa needs to deal with supporting the couple (and expecting baby) while working at a gas station called “Sunlight Jr.”

– This was an interesting film choice for Naomi Watts.  She’s fresh off of an Oscar nomination for THE IMPOSSIBLE, and even though it’s getting the worst reviews ever, she was cast as Princess Diana.  This film isn’t bad, but I always wonder how or why a well known actor/actress ends up in a small film like this.  Her talents are on display here once again as she plays a completely different character from her other work (at least of what I’ve seen).  Even though the script’s weak, Watts is able to give a good performance with the little she’s given to work with.  Matt Dillon is good too, and I feel like if these two weren’t in this, it would’ve been a major disaster.

– The music was completely generic and is used too frequent.  It’s a little thing, but it made the film seem cheap.

– Melissa’s boss at the gas station is pretty much the worst boss anyone could ever have.  Her working conditions are terrible.  This is realistic in the sense that there are terrible bosses out there yet people stay there because they don’t have other options, but I had many issues with her scenes at work because I didn’t find them realistic.  For example, she needs to take a drug test for no reason, her boss sexually harasses her, and she keeps a giant sword-like knife behind the counter.

– Antoni Corone plays Melissa’s unlikeable boss.  He does a good job here as he really does make you hate him.

– The weakest part of the script was the dialogue between Naomi Watts and Antoni Corone.  Their conversations were awkward and didn’t flow together.  Every scene at the store was considerably weaker than the scenes with Watts and Dillon.  Even the dialogue between Watts and her customers was awkward and unnatural.

– Laurie Collyer (Writer/Director) wanted to show the poor neighborhood and struggles through the lifestyles of the characters, but Norman Reedus‘ (from THE WALKING DEAD) character was completely over the top.  He plays Justin, Melissa’s ex-boyfriend.  You’re supposed to hate his character, and I did…but I also hated Reedus’ performance.  He tries so hard here, and stinks…maybe he should stick to his overrated show, THE WALKING DEAD, because acting like that character in a dramatic film doesn’t work.

If it weren’t for the performances from Naomi Watts and Matt Dillon, this would’ve been a total failure.  The storyline is very realistic and lots of people would be able to relate to it, however, I don’t know why director Laurie Collyer had to add in some unrealistic aspects that took away from the overall mood of the film.  For example, there’s a scene with Matt Dillon conducting a ‘pillowcase race’ with a bunch of ‘crackheads’.  It was so stupid and unnecessary.  If I’m watching a film about realistic characters, I don’t want dumb stuff like that put in the middle of the film for no reason.  That one 2 minute scene gave me a terrible impression right away.

It was hard for me to like any of the characters and I didn’t necessarily care for the relationship between Watts and Dillon because of the flaws that both their characters possessed.  Awkward dialogue, generic music, and a pathetic performance from Norman Reedus are all reasons why SUNLIGHT JR. struggles…but Watts and Dillon are enjoyable to watch.

SUNLIGHT JR.: 5.5/10

Review: Captain Phillips (2013) – Paul Greengrass (In Theatres)

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS: Directed by Paul Greengrass

– Not only did this look like an intense story from the trailer, but it being directed by Paul Greengrass made it even more of a must see for me.  He’s directed one of the most intense films I’ve ever seen in UNITED 93.  If you haven’t seen that, you should…and you should see CAPTAIN PHILLIPS as well.

– Both films are based on true events.  The style of each is similar…and they will both make you feel so many different emotions.

– CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is about Captain Richard Phillips, whose cargo ship was hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009.  It was the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in over 200 years.

– The first five minutes were a perfect way to start the film.  Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) is driving with his wife Andrea (Catherine Keener) to the airport.  They’re discussing their lives/children, as we see shots of the highway and busy airport parking lot in the background.  It then cuts to Somalia, where we see many young adults with weapons, yelling and screaming for jobs in sandy surroundings like a desert.

– What I loved about this beginning was that it made me think right away about the differences in lifestyle of the two countries.  It’s actually kind of fascinating that people who live on the same earth could be living in such different conditions.

– I haven’t seen many of them (because he’s been in a million films), but I’ve never been a huge fan of Tom Hanks.  Recently, however, he’s grown on me…and his performance in CAPTAIN PHILLIPS made me like him even more.  Tom Hanks’ performance is filled with an array of different feelings and emotions.  He’s amazing throughout the whole film, but there’s one scene that comes to mind where I thought he was unbelievable.

– Due to them not being huge Hollywood stars, I feel as if the four guys who played the Somali pirates aren’t going to receive as much praise as they should.  These four ‘actors’ are friends in real life, and none of them had ever been on screen before this.  It’s very impressive to see the performances Greengrass was able to get from these four guys…especially Barkhad Abdi (Muse), who plays the leader of the four.

– Just like in UNITED 93, it feels like you’re so close to the action.  Even if you know what happened in real life, you’ll still be on the edge of your seat throughout.

– Tom Hanks didn’t meet any of the four ‘pirates’ until they filmed the first shot of them hijacking the ship.  Even though they knew they were filming a movie, I wonder what kind of feelings everyone had going into that scene…especially Tom Hanks…because those dudes were scary and intense.

UNITED 93 and CAPTAIN PHILLIPS are two of the most thrilling and exciting films I’ve ever seen…that right there shows you what kind of quality films Paul Greengrass is capable of.  One thing I didn’t mention above is the main reason why I loved this film so much;  These four Somali pirates are the ‘bad guys’, and all four actors were extremely intense, violent, and scary…but as the film went on, I felt for them.  They make you think about the life they live and how that kind of illegal behaviour may be their only chance.  This is why I think the performance from Barkhad Abdi was so special…even though him and Tom Hanks’ character were enemies, you could see it in his eyes that he had sympathy for Hanks, but he had to do, what he had to do.  I’m not saying what they did was right, because obviously it wasn’t, but in the film, to have feelings for such an evil guy is pretty impressive stuff from Greengrass and Abdi.  CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is one of, if not the most thrilling film I’ve seen this year.  It kind of reminded me of the ‘thrill’ effect that Oscar winner Argo had last year.

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS: 8.5/10

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Review: All Is Lost (2013) – J.C. Chandor (In Theatres)

ALL IS LOST: Directed by J.C. Chandor

– This is the third survival film I’ve watched in the past month.  The others were GRAVITY, and I finally watched CAST AWAY for the first time.

– Robert Redford is the one and only character in the film.  He plays a man (no name given) at sea who wakes up to his boat being flooded with water due to it hitting a shipping container.

– Redford is receiving such high praise for his performance, and it’s well deserved.  Other than some narration at the beginning of the film and yelling one curse word, there’s no dialogue.  He had to rely on his actions and facial expressions to express his feelings to the audience, and he does a wonderful job at that.

– The character he plays is really smart and resourceful.  He shows no panic at any point in the film and he does so many smart things to try and save himself.  This is why the film works.  Even though there’s no talking, it was interesting enough to watch all of the clever tricks he was able to come up with.

– The biggest downfall for me (but it may be why people love this film) is because we don’t know anything about this character.  In CAST AWAY, the opening is dedicated to showing how Tom Hanks was in love with his wife, and while he was on the island you just wanted him to be able to get back to her.  We don’t know ANYTHING about Redford’s character.  We don’t know why he’s on this boat.  We don’t know if he has any sort of family.  We don’t even know his name.  Even though the film is good enough to make you feel for the guy, and you want him to survive, the connection isn’t as strong as it could’ve been if you knew more about him.

– There’s a scene in this that is so similar to one in CAST AWAY.

– The cinematography is great.  There are lots of really nice shots…especially underwater of fish, etc.

– Considering Robert Redford is 200 years old, it was impressive to hear that he did all his own stunts.

Having no dialogue was fine.  In fact, having him yell one word the entire film made that one particular scene much more effective.  There’s lots of Oscar buzz surrounding the film, especially for the performance from Redford.  I’m not going to make any Oscar predictions, but he does give an excellent performance.  He needed to be spot on with his actions and expressions being the only character in the film and having no dialogue, and he accomplishes that.  My biggest problem with ALL IS LOST was the length.  This was 1hr and 46min…and in my opinion it should’ve and could’ve been 1hr and 20-30min.  The middle part dragged on a bit too long, and they could’ve cut out some repetitive things.  Having said that, there’s lots of things that make ALL IS LOST an interesting watch.

ALL IS LOST: 7/10

Review: Fruitvale Station (2013) – Ryan Coogler (In Theatres)

FRUITVALE STATION: Directed by Ryan Coogler

– The film is based on the true story of Oscar Grant.

– The real footage at the beginning of the film was the perfect way to start.  If you haven’t seen the footage before, it really grabs your attention, and if you have seen it, it’s a great reminder of how messed up the whole situation was.  The best part about the footage is that you cannot fully see what’s going on, but it’s visible enough to realize how serious of a situation it was.

– FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is one of my favourite TV shows of all time, and I enjoyed CHRONICLE.  I’ve always paid attention to anything that Michael B. Jordan is in.  I always thought of him as a good actor, but after his performance in FRUITVALE STATION, me and everyone else need to consider him as a great one.  He’s going to be a huge star in the next couple of years, and there are even rumours of him teaming up with Ryan Coogler again to make a ROCKY spinoff.

• His role as Oscar Grant couldn’t have been better.  This is a short film, but in that time frame the audience is able to connect with him and make you feel as if you know him.
• What makes this film so special is how they’re able to make Oscar Grant seem as real as possible.  They showed his flaws, but also that he was trying to get his life on the right track.  There isn’t any bias one way or the other.
• Even though Oscar had his flaws, Michael B. Jordan’s performance made you feel and root for his character.  His relationships with his girlfriend, daughter, and mother weren’t perfect, but there were lots of things that showed he was a good and loving person.  The most powerful scene for me was the flashback of when he was in jail.

– The film takes place in one day, but so much happens and you’re able to get a good understanding of all the main characters personalities.

– The slow motion shot of him racing his daughter was so amazing for many different reasons.

– Even though it’s a very serious story, Ryan Coogler added some humorous scenes that fit well.

– The way the text messages and phone calls are shown on screen is cool.  It allows the audience to follow the characters interact when they aren’t on screen together easily.

– A long time ago I was a fan of the show, ONE TREE HILL.  Chad Michael Murray plays one of the cops in this film and he looked so out of place.

– The shot with no sound of Oscar with his daughter on his back would have been the perfect ending.  I’m not a fan of the very last shot in the shower.

– It was nice to add some footage from New Years 2013 of people celebrating Oscar’s life, and to show his real daughter.

FRUITVALE STATION is a brilliantly told story based on true events.  Whoever walks out of this film will feel like they have a great understanding of Oscar Grant’s life.  The characters feel very realistic, and Michael B. Jordan’s performance is so great that every audience member has to be on his side.  Jordan deserves a ton of praise, and I’m sure he’ll be rewarded with jobs in the future, as well as some prestigious award consideration during awards season.  If there’s one thing that could be taken from this film, it would be that even if someone gets into trouble or has made some mistakes in the past, you never know what kind of person they truly are unless you’re part of their family.  This is a quote from director Ryan Coogler, and I definitely think he achieved what he wanted:

“I wanted to do something to make a difference, and I thought that if I could bring the story to life through art, and give audiences the chance to spend time with a character like Oscar, it could maybe lower the chances of an incident like this happening again.”

Even though Oscar did some things to get in trouble, he has a mom who has a birthday, and a daughter to pick-up from school.  FRUITVALE STATION is one of the best films I’ve seen this year, with one of the best performances of the year.  It’s everything you’d want from a film.

FRUITVALE STATION: 9/10

Review: Trance (2013) – Danny Boyle (Bluray)

TRANCE: Directed by Danny Boyle

– Danny Boyle’s two previous films before TRANCE were SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (winner of the 2008 Oscar for Best Picture, along with 8 other wins), and 127 HOURS (nominated for 6 Oscars, including Best Picture).

– I’m not a big fan of anyone in this film.  I don’t particularly like James McAvoy or Rosario Dawson, but because of Danny Boyle’s recent success I wanted to see this.

– Viincent Cassel (Franck) was perfect for his role.  He looks like a criminal.

– A huge negative for me is that none of the characters are likeable.  Whenever I watch a film with characters I don’t like, it’s very hard for me to enjoy it.  When you have no one to root for and against, there really is no point.

– A lot of the film deals with hypnosis, and it’s cool how they filmed it.  There are some dream-like sequences that are shot in interesting ways, making the audience think hard about what is real and not.

– There are two or three gross scenes that I didn’t think were necessary.  They felt out of place and were only there for ‘shock value.’

– The opening scene is the best part of the film.  Too bad it only lasts for 5 minutes.

TRANCE tries so hard to be unique and special, but in the end it doesn’t separate itself from every other average crime/robbery film.  Rosario Dawson bores me once again, and James McAvoy’s character wasn’t likeable enough to root for.  The audience has no one to connect with and it was hard for me to care about any of them.  Putting the characters aside, the film does keep you interested to find out the mystery, but that too ends up being very conventional and unexciting.  After two very good films in SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and 127 HOURS, Danny Boyle comes up short on this one.

TRANCE: 6/10.

Review: Silver Linings Playbook (2012) – David O. Russell (Bluray)

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK: Directed by David O. Russell

– I saw this for the first time before the Oscars, so watching it again after knowing of all the award nominations and wins it received was interesting.  I was able to concentrate on the performances rather than just the story.

– I haven’t seen all of David O Russell’s films, but I need to go back and watch them all (not only did I like  THREE KINGS and THE FIGHTER, I loved them).  Watching a segment in the special features section made me like him even more.  I’m not an Eagles fan, but I’m an NFL fan, so it’s cool to see that he wore Eagles clothing and hats throughout the filming of SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK.  Another interesting fact is that his son deals with mental illness, so for years he was searching for a story to make a movie.  He wanted to show his son that there’s a place for everyone in the world.  The film was very well received from people who deal with mental illness, whether it be a doctor or patient, so I think he accomplished what he wanted.

– As everyone knows, Jennifer Lawrence won for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.  I didn’t agree with this because I thought Naomi Watts (THE IMPOSSIBLE) and Jessica Chastain (ZERO DARK THIRTY) were more deserving.  I still think the other two deserved it more than Lawrence, but after seeing this a second time it made me a believer in how great she plays Tiffany.  She’s a complex character with many issues, which resulted in her needing to showcase a wide variety of emotions and feelings.

– Bradley Cooper, who was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role plays Pat, someone who is going through many problems of his own.  He plays this character really well, as he had scenes where he’s very compassionate and soft spoken, but also scenes where he displays anger and is confrontational with other characters.  Cooper and Lawrence have great chemistry in this, and that’s one of the reasons why this film really works.

– My favourite part of the film is the character, Pat Sr., an amazing performance from Robert De Niro.  He’s fantastic in this role, and received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for it. He’s a chronic gambler and avid Philadelphia Eagles fan who believes his son (Pat (Bradley Cooper)) is his good luck charm, and would do anything to have him on his side.  The relationship between Pat Sr. and Pat is a lot of fun to watch because it’s so realistic, and the audience gets to watch them go through their ups and downs.  Pat Sr. is my favourite ‘older’ character I’ve ever seen in a film.

– Jacki Weaver (Dolores) plays the mother of Pat and husband of Pat Sr.  She also received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and I loved her in the role.  Her and Robert De Niro had amazing chemistry, and it felt like I was watching a real couple try and help their son.  David O. Russell wanted to make sure these characters came across as a husband and wife who were still very much in love, and De Niro and Weaver did it perfectly.

– I love the references to the NFL. They even mention my Cincinnati Bengals.

– Chris Tucker (Danny) is so random.  He pops up at the weirdest times, and I’m not sure if his character was very necessary.

– There are some cheesy parts which I wish weren’t in this.  They aren’t too bad, but because the film is so good, eliminating these could have made it more polished.  They’re very small, but the two that come to mind right now is when they explain what a ‘parlay’ is, and at the dance contest when they reveal the scores (that random dancer lady is terrible).

– John Ortiz (Ronnie) is Pat’s friend.  He’s definitely the funniest part of the film.  I totally forgot about this character, and no one really talks about him when discussing the film.  His relationship with Pat is great, and although their friendship wasn’t the biggest part of the film, I think it was very important.

– This has nothing to do with anything, but as I was searching IMDB this caught my eye.  Nikki, who’s Pat’s wife, is played by an actress whose name is Brea Bee.

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is filled with excellent performances from everybody involved.  Bradley Cooper and Jeniffer Lawrence compliment each other very well, and play their characters perfectly.  Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver are both great as Pat’s parents.  All the others in smaller roles are good too, I just don’t know about Chris Tucker’s character.  I loved the football aspect, and how it played a big impact in the film.  The best ‘love story’ films are the ones that are unconventional, and that have so much more to it, and that is exactly what SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is.  David O. Russel has made THE FIGHTER and SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK back-to-back, and his next film is filled with big stars, including Cooper, Lawrence, and De Niro.  Lets hope he continues making excellent films.  SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK has complex characters that are portrayed perfectly from the cast, and they all have great chemistry together.  I really need to watch all of Russell’s other films because SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, THE FIGHTER, and THREE KINGS were something special.

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK 8.5/10.

Review: Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) – Benh Zeitlin (Bluray)

Beasts of the Southern Wild: Directed by Benh Zeitlin

– I saw this for the first time long before Fast Film Judge existed, and I just bought the bluray, so I needed to write a review because I love it so much.

– First of all, the ‘making of’ feature on this bluray is one of the coolest special features I’ve ever watched.  It made me love the film even more than I already did.  It really makes you appreciate how much work and thought went into the littlest things.  Also, how they found the cast and created the sets/scenes is very neat.

– There are so many great things about Beasts of the Southern Wild:

• Benh Zeitlin, the director, couldn’t have expected any of this.  When he started this project, there is no way he thought it would receive anywhere close to the success it has.  None of the actors in this film are professionals, and he deserves so much credit for making these people look like seasoned vets.  The film was nominated for Best Achievement in Directing, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published at the Academy Awards.  Well deserved, especially for a crew that created this from the ground up.
• Quvenzhane Wallis, who plays Hushpuppy, was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.  She was 5 years old when she auditioned for the part, and 6 when it was filmed.  Like I’ve said in other reviews, I’m always fascinated when a child can give a great performance, and this one is better than great.  It’s such a special performance because the whole film relies on her to express many different emotions, and I can’t even believe a child of her age was capable of doing that.  It will be very interesting to see her in films in the future.
• Dwight Henry, who plays Hushpuppy’s dad, Wink, is also unbelievable.  Due to the performance and age of Quvenzhane Wallis, Dwight Henry was soooooooooooooo under appreciated for this performance.  He is so freaking amazing in this, and what makes it even more amazing is that this was the first movie he’s ever been in as well.  In fact, they shot this film in Louisiana, and he happened to be the owner of a small bakery across the street from where the auditions took place, and that is how he came to audition.  I was happy to see he is in some upcoming films, and I hope he gets lots of work in the future.

– The music is amazing.  Music can sometimes make or break a film, and in this one it just made everything THAT much better.

– The narration by Hushpuppy is perfect, and she delivers some beautiful quotes:

• “I see that I am a little piece of a big, big universe, and that makes it right.”
• “Everybody loses the thing that made them. It’s even how it’s supposed to be in nature. The brave men stay and watch it happen, they don’t run.”
• “The whole universe depends on everything fitting together just right. If one piece busts, even the smallest piece… the entire universe will get busted.”

Beasts of the Southern Wild is a film that I could watch over and over again and never get bored.  I enjoyed it more on my second viewing, and think I’ll like it even more after I watch it a third.  This was made by a first time director who had to direct regular people who’ve never acted before, and the lead was a six year old girl.  Unbelievable.  Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry couldn’t have been better together, and watching them was  extra special because of who they are and where they came from in real life.  They both got a unique, once in a lifetime opportunity, and took part in one of the best films of 2012.  In sports, I always love the underdog, and I feel like this film was a giant one that surprised everyone and shocked the world.

I can’t stop thinking about this film.  It expresses morals and values perfectly that any viewer can walk away thinking about, the performances are spot on, there are several epic scenes shot beautifully, there is a genius quote in every line, and you get to watch a six year old girl start her career…with a Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role at the Oscars.  This film is special.

“When I die, the scientists of the future, they’re gonna find it all.  They gonna know, once there was a Hushpuppy, and she lives with her daddy in the bathtub.”

Beasts of the Southern Wild: 9/10.