OSCARWATCH 2011 - Winter's Bone

I'm gonna keep this short because the show is about to start...I just saw this movie now and it's pretty unsettling. The story itself is about a girl in the Ozarks trying to find her drug-dealing father and all the social problems she encounters along the way. It's gritty, it feels realistic, and it's hard to watch. Jennifer Lawrence gives a great performance as a 17 year old girl trying to raise her brother and sister while also trying to locate their father, who will forfeit their house and all property if he does not show up for his trial.

The social setting of this movie is bleak, as is the story. Ree (Lawrence) tries her best to locate her father as she tries to keep her family together, sometimes with the help of her uncle Teardrop.

The film itself is very moving to watch, as well as tension filled. It's hard to see all the obstacles Ree has to overcome, as well as the way her brother and sister are forced to live due to their absent parents. It's a bleak landscape to say the least, and the film captures it perfectly.

Though I don't think it will win an Oscar this evening, as a small independent film it really packs a big punch. And I think this is also just the beginning of a great career for Lawrence. It will be interesting to see what's to come...

Rating:

3.5 out of 5 on the Marci meter