'Winter's Bone'

'Winter's Bone' (R) (3 stars)

Writers: Anne Rosellini and Debra Granik
Director: Debra Granik
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Garret Dillahunt, Sheryl Lee, Kevin Breznahan, Dale Dickey

"Winter's Bone" is cold just like it's crisp and stark fall setting in the Ozarks. It is not an easy movie to embrace but I think that is why it is effective. The movie is gritty, cold, unfeeling but it contains an outstanding performance by an actress that makes us somehow care for her character. The movie is set in the Ozarks and Jennifer Lawrence plays a 17 year old girl living with her crazy mother and raising her siblings. They are poor, backwoods people and the father is a criminal who is being pursued by the law for skipping out on his bail. He put up their house for bail and if he doesn't show up to court their house will be taken away. The daughter wants to go look for him and what we have here is a unique film noir type detective movie where the girl tries to find out what happens to her father. She encounters family members and towns people who make the "Deliverance" people look like Disney characters. There is a code of silence among these people and if you break that, God help you. This is a cold, spare and unfeeling movie with violent scenes that are scary and feel real. Jennifer Lawrence is amazing as the girl and here we have another great actress to watch. She gives a natural performance that is just right, never makes a false note and is very effective. What I like a lot about this movie is that these are actors I have never seen before for the most part. That makes this eerily seem like we are watching a docu series and the people seem real and are very creepy and scary. One of the characters is a family member played by a great indie character actor, John Hawkes. You might not know the name but you will recognize him. He is an outstanding actor and he is so great here. He at first makes us fear him but as the movie's story unfolds he becomes something different and human, maybe caring. Lawrence and Hawkes are so great here they really need to be remembered at Oscar time. They will definitely get a few Snavely award nominations. The movie's settings are real, lived in and the location work is beautiful. The movie is well written, the cinematography is perfect and beautiful and the director has major talent.

Why don't I love this movie more? I think it needs two viewings, one at home. I felt there was something holding it back from greatness because I didn't feel a deep connection. It reminds me of a masterpiece called "Snow Angels" from a few years back and I feel this misses that movie's power. It is a very effective movie and I hope Hawkes gets more attention and I can't wait to see Debra Granik's next movie. It also has a performance by actress Jennifer Lawrence that announces a major new actress who just shot up to elite status.