Movie review by Peter Letso on 9/29/10
When the mother of seventeen-year-old Joshua Cody (James Frecheville) dies of a heroin overdose while sitting beside him on the living room couch, he nonchalantly continues to watch "Deal or No Deal" on TV as paramedics try to revive her then take her from the house.
Perhaps J was relieved. Maybe he saw it coming. Regardless, this glimpse of a troubled life helps us understand how he'll respond to what's next.
The shy, introverted J reaches out for his grandmother, Janine 'Smurf' Cody (Jacki Weaver). J's mom was Grandma Smurf's only daughter. They hadn't spoken for years after a huge, booze-fueled argument over the rules of a card game. Grandma Smurf was not someone to be trifled with.
Smurf takes custody of J, which means he will share a home with Smurf's three sons, a trio of modern-day gangsters. J's uncles are brazen murderers, bank robbers and drug dealers. Smurf embraces her role as a sort of lioness/den mother to her boys, who are clearly the animals in the title. In her eyes, in her kingdom, her boys can do no wrong, and her twisted adoration for them is all too often sealed with a warm hug and a too-long kiss - on the lips.
First-time Director David Michod, who also wrote the screenplay, takes a straightforward approach to conveying his story. Close-up shots of facial expressions are utilized to great effect - the Codys are under constant police surveillance, rendering the film an exercise in suffocating suspense. Low-key lighting augments the shadowy plot. The Cody family is not glorified. Indeed, their fears are palpable. The inevitable, frequent violence is neither excessive nor gratuitous. This is, quite simply, the way the Codys live their life.
A montage of grainy photographs, taken from closed circuit cameras of the Cody's actual bank robberies in progress, closely follows the opening scenes - Michod's very useful way of giving the audience an appetizer of what's to come. Early on, he also uses J as a narrator, as the story is clearly told from his point of view.
Set in Australia in the 1980's and based on actual events, Michod's story of a Melbourne crime family is populated by individuals with very distinct personalities. Uncles Andrew 'Pope' (Ben Mendelsohn), Craig (Sullivan Stapleton), and Darren (Luke Ford) form the close-knit yet disparate trio of outlaw brothers. Pope, the oldest, is a drug dependent bank robber with a hair-trigger temper. Craig, heavily tattooed, usually shirtless, and always wild-eyed, is an obvious cocaine addict and the most belligerent. Darren, the youngest, is most reluctant to follow in the family business. Joel Edgerton (as Barry Brown, a family friend and mentor trying to go straight) helps round out this first-rate Australian cast of ne'er do wells.
Grandma Smurf's extraordinary presence is matched brilliantly by the family's chief nemesis, Homicide Detective Nathan Leckie, played by esteemed actor Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker; Memento; L. A. Confidential). Leckie pulls out all the stops as he attempts to get J to spill the beans on his uncles. Watching the characters portrayed by veteran performers Weaver and Pearce match wits is worth the price of admission.
Composer Antony Partos' original score is haunting, befitting this truly unsettling tale. Cinematographer Adam Arkapaw effectively captures the bleakness of the Cody's tacky home and the depressing Melbourne surroundings.
Animal Kingdom won the Grand Jury Prize for Drama at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. This is a gritty, edgy, suspenseful crime thriller that is not to be missed by avid moviegoers.
When the mother of seventeen-year-old Joshua Cody (James Frecheville) dies of a heroin overdose while sitting beside him on the living room couch, he nonchalantly continues to watch "Deal or No Deal" on TV as paramedics try to revive her then take her from the house.
Perhaps J was relieved. Maybe he saw it coming. Regardless, this glimpse of a troubled life helps us understand how he'll respond to what's next.
The shy, introverted J reaches out for his grandmother, Janine 'Smurf' Cody (Jacki Weaver). J's mom was Grandma Smurf's only daughter. They hadn't spoken for years after a huge, booze-fueled argument over the rules of a card game. Grandma Smurf was not someone to be trifled with.
Smurf takes custody of J, which means he will share a home with Smurf's three sons, a trio of modern-day gangsters. J's uncles are brazen murderers, bank robbers and drug dealers. Smurf embraces her role as a sort of lioness/den mother to her boys, who are clearly the animals in the title. In her eyes, in her kingdom, her boys can do no wrong, and her twisted adoration for them is all too often sealed with a warm hug and a too-long kiss - on the lips.
First-time Director David Michod, who also wrote the screenplay, takes a straightforward approach to conveying his story. Close-up shots of facial expressions are utilized to great effect - the Codys are under constant police surveillance, rendering the film an exercise in suffocating suspense. Low-key lighting augments the shadowy plot. The Cody family is not glorified. Indeed, their fears are palpable. The inevitable, frequent violence is neither excessive nor gratuitous. This is, quite simply, the way the Codys live their life.
A montage of grainy photographs, taken from closed circuit cameras of the Cody's actual bank robberies in progress, closely follows the opening scenes - Michod's very useful way of giving the audience an appetizer of what's to come. Early on, he also uses J as a narrator, as the story is clearly told from his point of view.
Set in Australia in the 1980's and based on actual events, Michod's story of a Melbourne crime family is populated by individuals with very distinct personalities. Uncles Andrew 'Pope' (Ben Mendelsohn), Craig (Sullivan Stapleton), and Darren (Luke Ford) form the close-knit yet disparate trio of outlaw brothers. Pope, the oldest, is a drug dependent bank robber with a hair-trigger temper. Craig, heavily tattooed, usually shirtless, and always wild-eyed, is an obvious cocaine addict and the most belligerent. Darren, the youngest, is most reluctant to follow in the family business. Joel Edgerton (as Barry Brown, a family friend and mentor trying to go straight) helps round out this first-rate Australian cast of ne'er do wells.
Grandma Smurf's extraordinary presence is matched brilliantly by the family's chief nemesis, Homicide Detective Nathan Leckie, played by esteemed actor Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker; Memento; L. A. Confidential). Leckie pulls out all the stops as he attempts to get J to spill the beans on his uncles. Watching the characters portrayed by veteran performers Weaver and Pearce match wits is worth the price of admission.
Composer Antony Partos' original score is haunting, befitting this truly unsettling tale. Cinematographer Adam Arkapaw effectively captures the bleakness of the Cody's tacky home and the depressing Melbourne surroundings.
Animal Kingdom won the Grand Jury Prize for Drama at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. This is a gritty, edgy, suspenseful crime thriller that is not to be missed by avid moviegoers.