Review of Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) by Nídio A — 07 Apr 2013

This is a story about a child's perspective of the world and poverty. It is probably the most imaginative among these films. You feel the passion of the filmmakers involved in making this and it definitely pays off. I find it hard to review this film because of its uniqueness. I like it in a strange way. It is somewhat depressing but at the same time magical and poetic. It is familiar but also unique in its own way. And I can't say enough about Quvenzhane Wallis. She's the best child actor I've ever seen. She, not Emmanuelle Riva, is who I believe is Jennifer Lawrence's toughest competition. I would've given it to her if only the film hadn't sound dubbed. That's one of the negative parts of this film. While the performances are great, their voices don't sound like they come from them. It is not to the actors' fault but it does hurt their performances. Another is the end is confusing to me. Is it purely from the kid's imagination? What did the other characters see? What did we see? Are they metaphors for social workers? I don't know. What else can I say? I really don't know. All I can say is I like it and it deserves recognition for its originality and imagination.

Score: 7.5/10.