Circle Time Review: Winter's Bone

It's been a while since I last had an installment of Circle Time and for that I am truely sorry. But let us not dwell on past sorrows, but look towards the bright future. Here's Winter's Bone.

To say this movie is good, in my opinion, would be a gross understatement. Throughout this year, I have seen only a handful of excellent films and Winter's Bone definitely makes that list.

Jennifer Lawrence is terrific as Ree Dolly, a seventeen-year-old Missouri girl who has to support her two younger siblings and a sick mother after her father goes missing. Soon after his disappearence, Ree soon finds out that her father has put their house up for bond and that it will be claimed by the city if he does not show up for his scheduled court date.

What starts out as just another mystery film quickly develops into something much more intricate and interesting. Now, what's so great about this film is that it does this so well. The story flows along smoothly and nothing feels out of place; writer-director Debra Granik really knows her story and she tells it very well.

The other thing that makes this movie great are the preformances; virtually everybody does a nice job here. As I said earlier, Jennifer Lawrence is terrific as the lead and John Hawkes is wonderful as the crazy uncle who scares everybody. Isaiah Stone and Beth Domann also do nice jobs as Ree's kid siblings who must learn to fend for themselves.

One of my favorite things about this film is that there is so much thought behind it and so much depth to everything that is going on, yet it still manages to feel simple. Sure you have to piece together the puzzle, but it doesn't feel like work (not that doing that kind of work is ever a bad thing). I never felt overwhelmed by anything that was going on.

For it's naturally flowing story, great preformances by it cast, and seemingly simple nature, I say go out and get this movie.

Definitely see it.