Elliot Hyams takes a look at the hard-hitting mountain drama that wowed audiences at this year’s Sundance.
A young girl, no older than seventeen, watches her young brother and sister play against the backdrop of a snow covered southern Ozark Mountain. She cares for them whilst her highly medicated mother sits silently indoors. This is no life for a girl her age, but since her father broke bail and disappeared whilst on charges of cooking meth this is the life that she has been forced to accept. Just when it seems as if things couldn’t get any worse for her, the sheriff appears to inform her that unless her father returns within a week for his trial, they will lose their house and land to the bondsmen. This is the predicament that faces Ree Dolly, the brave heroine of the award winning drama Winter’s Bone. Left with no alternative, Ree sets out to track down her father, coming face to face with the dark underside of the mountain community, where cooking drugs is the main source of income, and unwelcome questions are met with a violent response.
A lot has already been written about this powerful drama, earlier in the year it took the Sundance Film Festival by storm, picking up the awards for best picture and best screenplay, but is it worthy of all the hype? The resounding answer is yes. Winter’s Bone is an unrelenting piece of cinema, by no means is it an easy watch. ‘Gritty’ and ‘hard hitting’ would be understatements when describing this film, as the mood of the piece is a bleak as the landscape against which it is set. The pacing is deliberate and slow, which combined with the lack of any kind of relief will make it unappealing for anyone in the mood for a spot of light viewing. Writer/director Debra Granik is brutally honest in her depiction of a world that is unfortunately a reality for many young children, forced to become old before their time. Her script is worthy of the praise it has received, none of the characters on screen feel like stereotypes, and the story remains believable at all times.
Without doubt the greatest credit to this film is the incredible performance by Jennifer Lawrence as Ree. Some of the things she goes through are hard to watch, but the audience is with Ree all the way. The determination of the young girl to keep her family together and discover the truth no matter what is stunningly portrayed by Lawrence, and it will be interesting to watch her grow as an actress in future projects. Former Deadwood star John Hawkes does an equally fantastic job in his portrayal of Ree’s uncle Teardrop, a role that requires a level of depth that makes you wonder why this talented actor was never snatched up by Hollywood. Winter’s Bone covers a lot of dark territory, and its portrayal of both isolated living and the effects of drugs on a community do not make for easy viewing. It is relentless and can leave the viewer feeling winded, but for those that can stomach it, they will discover one of the most interesting dramas of 2010.
Review by Elliot Hyams
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