Winter's Bone

“This unblinking look at America's Red State Crystal Meth Belt is an instant Southern Gothic classic.”~R Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Aroview: Celebrated art-house thriller set in the Ozark Mountains follows a teenage girl as she desperately searches for her drug-dealing father who has jumped bail.

As the title suggests, there's little sunshine or comfort to be found in this neck of woods, as a loose conspiracy of community members emerge as variously despairing, paranoid or menacing. The source material (a novel by Daniel Woodrell) provides solid backbone on which director Granik gets to construct a sure and dramatic sense of place, but its Jennifer Lawrence's performance that registers most strongly, ahead of a cast of convincingly portrayed hillbillies (for whom subtitles may be required).

Fans of this arthouse hit are encouraged to check out dir. Debra Granik's previous film, DOWN TO THE BONE, a commendable indie drama that deals more directly with the ills of drug addiction.

NZ International Film Festival 2010

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