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| Quvenzhané Wallis |
Director: Benh Zeitlin
Stars: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly, Lowell Landes
Genre(s): Drama; Fantasy
DVD Release Date: December 4, 2012
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
30-year-old director Benh Zeitlin's post-apocalyptic drama, Beasts of the Southern Wild, has been nominated for multiple Oscar, and is one of the most critically-acclaimed movies of 2012. Yet, it was not nearly as terrific as I had thought (or hoped) it would be. I can certainly comprehend why the film has been so lauded, but I would be hard-pressed to say that I agree. I really did not know what to expect prior to watching it; I knew that it was some sort of fantastical drama involving natural disasters, and that is true. I had hoped that there would be much more to the apocalyptic element of the story, but there was not.
It is difficult to identify the year in which the film takes place, but we can ascertain that it is sometime in the not-too-distant future. Six-year-old Hushpuppy (Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis) lives with her tough but caring father (Dwight Henry) in an area of the bayou called the "Bathtub." Hushpuppy's father has long been preparing her to be able to take care of herself, and when he becomes very sick, she uses these lessons to survive during terrible flooding and the like from melting ice caps. Additionally, aurochs, prehistoric creatures, resurface around this time.
The star is clearly newcomer Wallis, who at nine has become the youngest Best Actress Oscar nominee ever. She was only six when she made the film, and five when she auditioned. The accolades this young actress has received are understandable, as it is incredible how such a young performer can act with the grace and confidence of a seasoned movie star. She is many steps ahead of most child actors, and in the same league as many older stars, but I would not go so far as to say she is on equal footing with her fellow nominees (especially Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence). My opinion is that the Academy members should have opted to vote for someone older, because Wallis is so young that she has many more years ahead of her in the business. The supporting cast was fairly strong too, though Henry stands out the most (and is present enough in the film to nearly be considered a lead).
It is not easy to provide any negative comments regarding a film that has elicited so many positive ones, but I will honestly state that I did enjoy the movie, although I do not believe it is one of the best films of the year. It is has some of the most beautiful, stirring cinematography I have ever seen. I was particularly awestruck by the aurochs, which are obviously not real, but seem to be real, live, breathing creatures that are simultaneously fearsome and beautiful.
Perhaps my principal problem -- like the alliteration? -- with Beasts is that it is too short. Oftentimes, we complain about films being too long and that they need to be cut, but this one could have used more. I felt as though the ending was too abrupt, and bits and pieces of the script did not seem to flow together as nicely as I would have liked (as an aspiring screenwriter, I am picky about those things). But the story is very inspiring, and little Hushpuppy's transformation from an innocent child to a strong, independent individual is believable. Critics have been calling the movie "visual poetry," and it is, but the rest of the movie fails to be as magnificent as it could have been.
Grade: B+
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