Review of Winter's Bone (2010) by María A — 17 Feb 2012

I'd heard, prior to viewing it,that it was boring. After seeing it for myself, I realized that my opinion of those that called it such a thing had lessened. Boring? Not at all. It moves at the perfect speed. It doesn't rely on gimmicks or incredible violence or fear mongering to keep its pace or the viewer's interest (and with the subject matter and rift raft of characters, it could have easily, believably done so). It's character driven, and your instantaneous connection with Ree, and your respect for her keeps you invested.

Jennifer Lawrence is worthy of every accolade she has received for her role as the strong, determined, admirable Ree Dolly, but overlooked and underrated (in this role and others prior as well), is John Hawkes, as the quietly menacing Teardrop. Although he will be overlooked most definitely, I would nominate him for an Oscar in the supporting actor category.

Great performances all around, even from the mostly unknown supporting cast. Growing up in a rural area, they came across as anyone I may see roaming the dirt roads of an area I shouldn't really be in back home. The scenery was beautiful, dark and moody, setting the tone perfectly.

All in all, I have nothing but positive things to say about it, and highly suggest it.