Beasts Of the Southern Wild

Beasts of the Southern Wild was nominated for several Academy Awards last year; I believe Best Picture, and also Best Actress. I finally got around to watching it this evening and for once I'm left without words. They will come, but I'm not sure if they will be coherent. Perhaps that's because the movie itself was not completely coherent – part documentary, part fantasy – all drama. It was powerful, visually, emotionally and dramatically, but the message of the film, if there is one, eludes me. Maybe I just have to think about it for while longer... Perhaps that's the draw of this film, every viewer can decipher what it means on their own – it will mean something different to each one of us. Set in some apocalyptic-like, Louisiana Bayou, before and after Hurricane Katrina moved in, the poverty and raw emotion was at times difficult to watch. The brutality of the characters' situation was appalling, but probably real for many people. It made me realize that we are spoiled, and have little true understanding of the plight of other people on the other side of the levy. The little girl, who was nominated for the Best Actress Award, did a wonderful job, but I got the feeling that a lot of the time she was just being her precocious self and not really acting. You need to listen carefully to her narration, that's where the true story unfolds. The courage and perseverance of her character throughout was inspiring. The father was drunk, dying and self-destructive, yet he was still a redeemable character, loving and trying to protect his daughter in his own way. The minor characters, I believe all local Louisiana folks, were interesting and bizarre at the same time. I know very little of the true Louisiana culture, and wonder how accurate they were portrayed. You may not "enjoy" this film and it won't leave you smiling, but I guarantee that it will make you think. Definitely worth a rental.