Beasts of the Southern Wild

bobbaggio

Hey guys, I have a friend in America who keeps telling me about this movie

http://www.beastsofthesouthernwild.com/

Supposed to be absolutely amazing! There is an organize event link, would anyone be interested in a screening of it? Or has anyone seen it and can you back up my friend's theory?

johnny_ultimate

After hearing the interesting debates going on about this film - Sight & Sound had a scathing and condescending review of it this month, calling it "the worst film of the year", which was at odds with the general gushing praise it was receiving - I didn't know what to expect going in. Well, it's not the masterpiece its been heralded to be by some, nor does it deserve the dishonour of being labeled the worst film of the year. Ultimately, I'd lean more towards the positive than the negative.

It opens beautifully, with the pre-credits party scene a burst of raw joy that sucks you in quickly and effectively. What follows is a strange mix between Ponyo, Where the Wild Things Are and George Washington, all drawn together by filmmakers who are clearly loyal Terence Malick fans - although the film is still distinctive and unusual despite the obvious points of reference. A fantastical, sometimes rather dark fable that reimagines the New Orleans flooding on a fictional island known as 'The Bathtub'. There's a beguiling mix of surreal fantasy and natural, understated drama, and the cinematography does a good job at capturing what could potentially be a contradictory delivery.

At heart, this is a simple father daughter bonding story. Young Quvenzhané Wallis certainly impresses as the innocent, proactive Hushpuppy who is forced to deal with situations well outside her age and maturity range. Her voiceover - that tired old cinematic shortcut - is actually really charming and memorable. There's not much in the basic story that's new, though: there's a lot of quirks in the delivery, and the whole thing is consistently strange, but this is a familiar coming of age story, and that familiarity is probably its biggest problem.

Still, director Benh Zeitlin has weaved a thematically rich tapestry - the alternate reality he crafts contains similarities to real events (the Bathtub residents refusing to leave their flooded homestead is a passionate commentary on the resilience of Hurricane Katrina victims) alongside the fantastical flourishes. The effects work is solid, conjuring up some interesting creations. Overall, it's a peculiar and well-realised film that sometimes completely bewitches (even if its best scene is early on). There are moments of real beauty in Beasts of the Southern Wild. Oh, and it has the most delightful, uplifting soundtrack I've heard this year (its 'stay-til-the-end-of-the-credits' good).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFFiaTOAWIc