Winter's Bone

What the f*ck is up with Missouri?

This question kept popping in to my head as I watched Winter's Bone, starring relative newcomer Jennifer Lawrence as Ree Dolly, a 17-year-old girl who has assumed the role of caregiver for her two younger siblings and mentally vacant mother in a backwoods town in the Ozark Mountains. You see, the mother apparently lost her marbles because she was surrounded by some of the most vile, unpredictable, menacing men who dabble in methamphetimine production and really, really, really, don't like to talk to much about it. These guys are just as terrifying as your run-of-the-mill chainsaw-wielding Texan. No joke.

And as bad as the men are, they don't hold a candle to what the women prove they are capable of by the end.

But let me back up. Ree is barely keeping it together for her family. There is no obvious income source and they  usually don't know where their next meal is coming from, most days. They rely on the kindness of strangers (which, believe me, is few and far between) and old-school survival skills to get by.

One cold and miserable day (indistinguishable from every other cold, miserable day), a local lawman drives up to the house and informs Ree that her father has jumped bail and has gone missing. Daddy has gone and put their house up for bond, so if they don't track him down, the house will be taken by the state and Ree and her family will be homeless. The rest of the film is Ree's search for her dad, and her challenges in dealing with the hillbilly underworld of Missouri and the meth-cooking culture. Ree turns over rock after rock in search of her dad, much to the ire of those who would rather keep that information to themselves. Jennifer Lawrence is amazing in scene after scene of Ree trying to fake toughness in the face of some pretty intimidating people.

There is a scene about halfway through the movie where Ree visits a military recruitment center, having her eye on the $40,000 dollar signing "bonus" for new recruits. She has a brief conversation with the recruiting officer, who calmly explains her options and gives her real advice on what to do next. At this point in the movie, Ree has been met with so much adversity from every man around her, including her family, that the kindness and respect shown by this character comes off as if delivered by an angel from heaven. She thanks him at the end of the meeting, not because he gives her the answers she wants, but because she, however briefly, was treated with respect.

This is a powerful and beautiful film. As much as I loved the city of cards that Chris Nolan built with Inception, this movie is nudging it out on my list of best of the year, so far. Tonally, the film reminded me of Wendy and Lucy, another film that relies on the beauty and harsh reality of everyday life to create genuine tension and empathy for the lead character. Sometimes you have to blow up an asteroid hurling toward Earth. Sometimes, you just need a quarter to make a phone call. Ree could use that quarter.

For fans of: slow-burning indie dramas, quiet thrillers

Rating: A