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Winter's Bone (2010)
Oscar material
This is an excellent film, the casting was perfect and, filmed on location in the Ozarks, it's depiction of poor rural mountain life in the South was thoroughly authentic. In another generation, it was moonshine that put these people on the wrong side of the law. Today, it's methamphetamine and OxyContin. As the plot moves forward through this drug subculture, the pride, family loyalty, code of honor and toughness of the people are revealed. Three performances stand out. Jennifer Lawrence never hits a false note as Ree Dolly, the 17 year-old protagonist who takes care of her little brother and sister and her mentally disabled mother. She learns that her father, who cooks methamphetamine, had been arrested and put up their house and land for bail bond. If he doesn't show up for court, they will lose their house, and she must find him. John Hawkes, cast as her uncle, Teardrop, quietly develops his character from someone who is initially menacing and untrustworthy into a man you can faintly admire. And Dale Dickey, as Merab, manages to convey a woman who is tough, mean, capable of violence, yet also honest and reluctantly sympathetic to Ree.
Green Mansions (1959)
Excellent cinematography
I saw this film when I was 13 years old, and I still remember the steamy misty jungle and the almost magical lighting. I don't remember much of the plot, but the cinematography obviously made a lasting impression. I remember Audrey Hepburn as innocent and one with her surroundings. It was so enchanting, i just wanted to dive into the screen and live among all that beautiful greenery. The impact of the film was more visceral than intellectual, and, for me, it was very effective in creating a mood, a milieu and an ambiance. Although it's been almost half a century since I first saw this film, I still vividly remember those "green mansions". If the intent of the film was to tell a story or to showcase its stars, then it may have fallen short. But if it sought to transport its viewers into an enchanted green jungle, then my lasting recollections are a testament to its success.