2012: The Year in Film: "Beasts of the Southern Wild" Review

Only 2.5 weeks late on this one.. things are looking up! So every year there's at least one seemingly random tiny film that comes out of no where at one of the acclaimed festival and wows the crowd to go on to an extended arthouse run culminating in a handful of Oscar nominations. This year that film happened to be a crazy little, immensely charming southern gothic psuedo fantasy/magical realism tale. I kept hearing about this one and finally went out to see it, so how is it? This flick features a tiny fictional, isolated, nearly post-apocalyptic community on the Gulf outside of New Orleans. Despite living in destitute conditions, scavenging and scraping by in squalor, the community is tight-knit and festive, mistrusting of outsiders and broader society as a whole. Survival skills are key, and residents of "The Bathtub" are forced to grow up fast in a community that time and wider society have seemingly forgotten. This tiny bayou island community finds its very survival threatened by melting icecaps and increasingly severe storms. In this community a young girl, named Hushpuppy, who seems to have an almost magical connection with nature, lives with her father, known as Wink, who is perhaps the proudest Bath Tub resident of all. The Good: the island, its residents, and the world they inhabit is imbued with an almost Wes Anderson-esque aesthetic.. it's a world all its own with unique characters, rules, and a complete world that exists on its own while seemingly bearing little in common with our own. When done well, this is extremely charming, and this flick does it without Anderson's aplomb and whimsy, electing instead for a grittier, earthier feel all its own. At once rustic and contemporary, this gives the flick a timeless feel, making it seem as though it exists in a time and place all its own. The decision to use unknown or amateur actors really adds to this feel and makes the flick feel rawer and more authentic. The main performances are great. Wink (played by a non-actor) and Hushpuppy (played, quite remarkably, by an incredibly charming little girl named Quvenzhané Wallis) have a believable and sometimes strained family relationship. The film looks great and feels light and magical enough due to the performances despite its serious tone and subject matter. The Bad: The film occasionally treads on overly sentimental territory. While this may not be a negative to everyone, it seems that so much of our modern media is permeated with an unearned and unnecessary nostalgic sentimentality that serves no purpose other than emotional manipulation. I don't have a problem with this, when it's earned by the underlying narrative and character development, but sentimentality for sentimentality's sake is exploitative and cheap. Granted, the film in no way entirely crosses this line, but it certainly walks it, and comes damn near inducing groans at several moments. In addition, the film is certainly an allegory for SOMETHING, but good luck placing your thumb on exactly what. This, combined with sometimes undue sentimentality, cheapens whatever its trying to actually SAY. Again, not a deal breaker, just moderately annoying. Ultimately, the often lovely and whimsical yet still serious story, combined with terrific main performances and great characterization overcomes its weaknesses to make this a sweet, charming flick that's well worth a watch. Its shortcomings left me less charmed than many were, but there's no denying that Wallis, as Hushpuppy, has done something amazing. To think that someone so young could be so talented is truly astounding. Watch this film for her alone. 7/10