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Winter’s Bone Quick Review
Grade: B-
Director Debra Granik’s Winter’s Bone is a film that emerges its audiences into a culture that has been acknowledged by many, but never have been truly experienced. Winter’s Bone is a film adaptation of Daniel Woodrell’s novel of the same name. It depicts the story of a 17-year-old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) who is dealt with the hardship of the position of being the sole responsible adult in a dysfunctional family. When told that her drug dealer father has put up their household as a bail bond, she finds herself looking for her fugitive father. During the course of his tracking, she encounters the grittiness of the low-class country and must persevere through the contradicting narcissism of the culture around her.
Winter’s Bone is overall a difficult film to sit through. Not just because of the dark-themed content, but also due to the fact that it is more of a societal exposition, thus losing any aspect of engrossment. The film’s beauty lies in the rewarding feeling the audience obtains by the end. This is much contributed to the performance of the film’s primary focus on Jennifer Lawrence’s character. Lawrence’s performance is mesmerizing, although she is seen in every scene of the film, she makes no mistakes. She is consistent and puts so much character with her subtlety and implied emotional baggage. Because of this, the film’s focuses on the perseverance of an individual, and the ending displays the result of real-world ambition.
Winter’s Bone can be seen dull to the average movie goer, but it does reward the audience if full attention is given. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance is worth the experience alone and is a real contender this award season. Overall, Winter’s Bone is true to its focus and is a mesmerizing look into America’s lower class and societal struggles. It may be difficult to get through, but beyond looking at its superficiality, Debra Granik’s film provides both an insightful perspective and an interesting work of art that is anything but engaging. Grade: B-
