Beasts of the Southern Wild
Go! See an extraordinary little lady in action.
Louisiana child's gritty storm drama.
It won the Camera d'Or at Cannes, the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and a few other awards that are so fancy no-one has ever heard of them. An indie movie, filmed on location in Louisiana for $1.8 million on a 16mm camera, with a totally unknown cast and a five year old lead actress. She is Quvenzhané Wallis, whose first name is not only potentially worth 1219 Scrabble points, but also one that some poor overpaid bugger might have to pronounce on Oscar awards night. With such credentials, Beasts of the Southern Wild carries great expectations. To fulfil them, it needs to make you feel something big - such films should be experienced rather than merely seen; waterboarding you with a flood of agonising reality before leaving you alone to stare at your own reflection in the sopping wet, bare, concrete floor. Sometimes you depart the soggy chamber happy and relieved; sometimes you struggle to recover. These sorts of films have the ability to change people's lives as well as being brilliantly entertaining (so long as you have a towel).
The story of Beasts follows a young Bayou girl joyously named Hushpuppy, and her unpolished life with her alcoholic father. Together with a motley mix of locals, they live on a tiny waterlocked piece of land, just beyond the levy which protects the mainland from floods. The community know that one day a storm will inevitably wipe out their homes and wash away their lives. It is fiction, but post-Katrina, follows an almost forgotten reality.
When the great storm does arrive, only a few islanders decide to stay. They end up trapped, both by the levy (which doesn't allow the water to drain) and by a passionate commitment to their lifestyle; rejecting the opportunity to join “those pussies on the mainland”. It is a story about values, and the right of people to express those values without the prejudiced interference of others. Or equally, it's just about a wee girl living a tough life with her dad on an island.
When the great storm does arrive, only a few islanders decide to stay. They end up trapped, both by the levy (which doesn't allow the water to drain) and by a passionate commitment to their lifestyle; rejecting the opportunity to join “those pussies on the mainland”. It is a story about values, and the right of people to express those values without the prejudiced interference of others. Or equally, it's just about a wee girl living a tough life with her dad on an island.
What a wee girl she is. Hushpuppy is this movie. She is in virtually every frame and owns them all. She lives in relative squalor but radiates warm majesty through the filth. Her energy is truly remarkable considering her age. You'll fall in love as she becomes a fragile heroine, flitting between fear and glee; rage and patience in the blink of a tiny eyelid, or the twitch of quivering lip. Her on screen Dad (newcomer, Dwight Henry) also pulls off an impressive performance - in real life the man was a baker before a chance audition took him into this film, and his naturalistic manner compliments Wallis’ no end. Together, their relationship takes this film within touching distance of the greatness the hype implies.
However, while the ingredients look oh so flavourful on the menu, when it's served up, the dish just doesn't quite reach Michelin stardom. There is no doubting it tastes fantastic, but it only occasionally delivers that gut feeling of immersive, near-masochistic, joy. Nevertheless, the story is both profound and touching and the performance of Quvenzhané Wallis might just stay with me forever. Is she alone worth the £10 ticket?Most definitely, yes.
So go, and dine at her table. Put the hype aside and you won't be disappointed.
However, while the ingredients look oh so flavourful on the menu, when it's served up, the dish just doesn't quite reach Michelin stardom. There is no doubting it tastes fantastic, but it only occasionally delivers that gut feeling of immersive, near-masochistic, joy. Nevertheless, the story is both profound and touching and the performance of Quvenzhané Wallis might just stay with me forever. Is she alone worth the £10 ticket?Most definitely, yes.
So go, and dine at her table. Put the hype aside and you won't be disappointed.
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