Winter's Bone
Winter's Bone
Her family home in danger of being repossessed after her dad skips bail and disappears, Ozark teen Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) breaks the local code of conduct by confronting her kin about their conspiracy of silence. Should she fail to track her father down, Ree Dolly, her younger siblings, and their disabled mother will soon be rendered homeless.
rg9400 reviewedNovember 1, 2024
I watched this movie to finally see the role that won Jennifer Lawrence her Oscar. I was fairly disappointed in a variety of aspects. First off, I don't think this is Lawrence's strongest role by a longshot. She mostly looks morosely at the camera, very subdued without as much nuance as I would come to expect from her. She's a very showy actress that emotes extremely well and steals the spotlight, so this role doesn't feel like it even played to her strength. More importantly, I kind of found the entire movie limp. It's trying to shine a spotlight on a section of forgotten America and the struggles of a broken family. However, I just don't think it does anything new or unique or particularly powerful. Most of the movie is Lawrence going to various people in the town and asking where her father is. The mystery itself isn't compelling, and the movie kind of knows that with how it ends up being resolved. Instead, it's just sort of showing a slice of life of these people without really getting into any type of meaningful social commentary. In other words, it's just kind of dry and boring.