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Filmed on a meager budget of just under two million, this Benh Zeitlin drama was released
last summer following a strong showing at Sundance, eventually grossing 12 million.
A truly unique surprise in a group of predictable nominees, this smartly paced 93-minute showcases
the dreary and depressing everyday story of a father and daughter who live in a southern
Louisiana bayou community that's cut off from modern society by a levee. Only six years
old during filming, child prodigy and audition winner Quvenzhan� Wallis is stunning and
adorable in the lead role of a little girl with hopes and dreams, with a realistic naivety
to her endless curiosity. Her performance is remarkable, especially given her young
age... but how much is she truly acting, and how much is this just a cute little girl innocently
exploring the world? Fellow non-actor turned thespian, Dwight Henry plays her father: a
foolish, alcoholic, almost homeless individual, but his love for Wallis never waivers. It's
a tough existence, no doubt... but as more is revealed about the characters, it's obvious
this poor and desperate situation is a product of their own stupid, and selfish decisions
- opting in one scene to literally work dumber, not smarter: when Henry instructs Wallis on
the brute-force method of eating crab. With an upbeat indie-rock soundtrack, the actual
story thread takes a back seat to an intensely fascinating character study of these two individuals,
including the fun characters they encounter along the way. Backed by some poignant and
wise narration from Wallis, the squalor of this flooded bayou area is photographed in
such a way that it approaches almost majestic levels of imagery. From a franticly loud and
terrifying storm that threatens to destroy their entire life, to sailing the creeks and
marshes on a pickup truck used as a boat. This is a beautifully captured snapshot of
a life few of ever experience first hand, and it plays out like the exact opposite of
a Hollywood's traditional materialistic escapism. And while this picture is certainly depressing
at times, the final act serves as a sort of opened ended message for hopefulness and destiny,
with Wallis remarking, "We's who the Earth is for." Ultimately, everyone will remove
their own interpretation and emotional meaning from this sometimes uncomfortably realistic
portrayal of bayou life. "Beasts Of The Southern Wild", "Delightfully engaging performances,
harsh story." Now let's check out your thoughts in the YouTube comments.
"The Beasts Of The Southern Wild"... an EIGHT and a SEVEN. Some mixed opinions here, while
everyone praised the acting, others thought it was bizarre and awkward. Your scores averaged
to a GREAT. I don't entirely know how to feel about this picture myself... it was beautiful
and inspiring in some parts, but depressing and difficult to watch at others. Outstanding
performances helped though, so I'm giving it a COOL.