Winter’s Bone (Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes) : Movie Review

Winter’s Bone, based on Daniel Woodrell’s novel of the same name, and adapted to the screen by Anne Rosellini and director Debra Granik, has audiences divided. Is this 2010’s little independent film that could, or is this 2010’s hyped independent film that disappoints?

Set in The Ozarks (a highland region in Missouri, central America), Winter’s Bone follows Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence), a teenager tasked with raising her two younger siblings, along with her mentally ill mother, while her meth cooking father is MIA.

The discovery that her father used the family home as bond in his latest run in with the law sends Ree Dolly on a search to find him. What she will ultimately find, however, is the true underbelly of the close knit community in which she lives.

Winter's Bone

While this isn’t, in my opinion, the 2010 little independent film that could, it isn’t a disappointment either. Visually Winter’s Bone is entrancing, the story should be also, though it often falls flat there are enough tense moments to make it memorable.

The performances, some of which are amateur, are strong, and the representation of this stunted community is haunting, with a scene in the local high school brilliantly displaying the unavoidable future in such a bleak socioeconomic region; have a baby or join the military.

It must be said that Jennifer Lawrence’s central performance, made at a mere 17 years of age, is understated but strong. She had to learn how to skin a squirrel for this role, which elevates my impression of her even higher. John Hawkes as Ree Dolly’s Uncle Teardrop is another key performance to admire; unsettling at first the audience is soon persuaded to trust him.

The bottom line, not only with the performances on show but also the film as a whole, is the feeling of authenticity. Much like Courtney Hunt’s Frozen River (2008) – a comparison that seems to be easily made by many – Winter’s Bone throws you head first into an unforgiving environment and a community sensibility far from our own.

More drama-mystery than thriller there are some scenes which will catch your breath but the almost plodding, at times, pace of this film might see a few people losing attention. The strength of this film is in the detail and repeat viewings are sure to reward an audience.

While it lacks an immediate punch, on reflection Winter’s Bone is an extremely solid film, while not continually enjoyable and perhaps not in the top 10 of the year, it ranks as one of the most memorable and accomplished independent films of recent times.

Watch Out For

A do-it-yourself squirrel skinning lesson courtesy of Ree Dolly. Would you like your squirrel fried or stewed?

WATCH OUT FOR | RATING : 3.5 out of 5