Winter's Bone

Winter’s Bone is the sort of film that seems a little out of place at this time of year, being a genuinely heartfelt drama that focuses so clearly on a single performance, and therefore seems to scream Oscar season rather loudly. Its sudden appearance though is hardly a criticism and is something that can only be explained by its total lack of stars or budget, something that oddly enough only enhances a surprisingly brilliant film.

Winter’s Bone follows the quest of 17 year old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) to find her father before his court date to avoid losing her family home as part of bail bond. Adding to her problems is the fact that she is the sole capable adult in the family, looking after two younger siblings and a sick mother. However, what makes the film so fresh and compelling is that it never falls self-indulgently into pity for the poor or into the trap of overwrought melodrama. Each development seems natural and logical, rather than ever testing the audience’s credulity as is all too common. What makes this possible is the excellent and unknown cast who successfully create a rich and highly believable community, with defined concepts of honour and family that add a sense of realism and immediacy to the work. It is also refreshing to see a film about the working class of America, something that only a few independent films such as Lee Daniels' excellent Precious seem capable of doing, although here we are presented with a life in which, alongside the horror, there are clear moments of joy and innocence mixed alongside its underclass squalor.

As anyone who has read any other review of Winter’s Bone will know, a large portion of the credit has to go to previously unknown lead Jennifer Lawrence who has received enough praise to sink several large battleships for reasons, which upon seeing the film, are about as obvious as wind in a hurricane. However, this is far more than a film based around a solitary performance. Particular credit also goes to Michael McDonough, whose sumptuous cinematography succeeds in making a poor squalid community look like a thing of true beauty, creating stark and stunning images and giving a remarkable feel to the film. Praise should also go to writer/director Debra Granik, who has done such a wonderful job in creating a tense, dramatically satisfying and seemingly honest tale, without it ever resorting to melodrama or trying to be too worthy a problem, all too common amongst dramas.

Overall, Winter’s Bone is a film that I can wholeheartedly recommend, succeeding on almost every level. Indeed it is a film that actually benefits from the absence of stars and a large budget, thereby enabling the community to feel real and alive and to be shot without any artificial Hollywood glare. This all makes for a truly memorable film that hopefully will be awarded as such at next year’s Oscar ceremony.

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