Beasts of the Southern Wild 2012
I was able to buy this movie on a great sale for just over a dollar. With these sales there are a lot of titles available, mostly not well known, so you have to do some research before buying. Beasts of the Southern Wild was a blind buy based on very good critical reviews. It was even nominated for Oscars for Best Picture, Actress, Director, and Adapted Screenplay. No doubt, this movie impressed a lot of people, but somehow it didn’t really work for me. I like the fantasy aspect and the insight into Louisiana bayou culture, but it all ends up coming off as the rantings of crazy people with a little too much weight placed on the shoulders of its 8-year old star (the youngest person ever nominated for an Oscar, it is a fearless performance). It reminds me a little of The Florida Project, another story about horrible parenting and the damaged children that result. I can see where people, especially critics who like anything as offbeat as this movie, would like this, but I would like a little bit more substance and maybe some kind of hopeful result (hinted at in the narration, but never revealed), but it seems like we are just enjoying people’s escapist fantasies from their daily misery.
Written: 26 Feb 2019
Owned on: Blu-ray, DVD