What a gorgeous film. I saw this last Saturday night and was instantly in love. With family from the bayou, which is where this film takes place, I marvelled at how rich and accurate the dialogue was. The acting lacked in several of the supporting parts, but wow! there was no acting prowess lacking in the two main characterizations of the film. Dwight Henry is truly something in his turn as the protagonist Hushpuppy's father, Wink. He is convincing in every facet of his reasonably complex portrayal of an imperiled father. You may say, "Well, he's just playing himself." In response, "He's not. He may be a father, but he lives in New Orleans and had to be convinced to audition because he couldn't afford to not work at the small bakery he owns in the 7th Ward to go across the street and read for the producers and director." He's a revelation who has unfortunately already stated that regardless of what happens, he's pretty much done acting. What a shame. Anyway moving on, the real revelation is Quvenzhane Wallis as the protagonist, a girl named Hushpuppy. Never having acted before, she really is something else. Many child acting performances receive acclaim because they are children and you simply don't expect children to be able to act at all much less some. In Wallis's case, she, a 7 or 8 year old I believe, deserves any award nominations and perhaps wins she may receive somewhere down the line. She acts better than half the paid bodies on celluloid these days and she too lives a normal life in a town, not one in the swamp. The only comparable performance I can liken hers to in terms of prowess and general effect is that of 9-year-old Justin Henry and the fabulous portrayal he gave in Kramer vs. Kramer. Garland in The Wizard of Oz is too old as is Peggy Ann Garner in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The difference between Wallis and Henry, however, is that Henry was a supporting player in a film in which his other 3 main actors were nominated for acting Oscars, of course with Hoffman and Streep winning and Alexander losing to Streep, Henry of course lost to Douglas though he should've lost to Duvall instead. Conversely, Wallis is required to carry an entire film. She is present in probably 80% of the fantastic film and she is magnetic. One more thing before I close. I don't usually have an issue with voice-overs in a film, but there are a few instances where I have almost pulled my hair out because they were so bad. Not the case here. Much of Wallis's lines, especially early on, are said via voice-over. This just makes Wallis's job even more difficult. She has to act convincingly without saying much of anything and simultaneously has to make the voice-over sound interesting so that people don't bludgeon themselves to death. It's an understatement to say that she succeeds completely. Her voice-ever melds eerily perfectly with everything that she does on screen, something that the cinematographer, film editor, and sound editors also all deserve major kudos for. In closing, Benh Zeitlin, please work your magic many times again, preferably sometime soon.
Did anybody see the animated short that won the Oscar this year, The Fantastic Flying Book of Mr. Morris Lessmore? It was incredible and should be included on this list for sure. It's the best animated short put out in years.
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Movie comment on Beasts of the Southern Wild
mpatison
What a gorgeous film. I saw this last Saturday night and was instantly in love. With family from the bayou, which is where this film takes place, I marvelled at how rich and accurate the dialogue was. The acting lacked in several of the supporting parts, but wow! there was no acting prowess lacking in the two main characterizations of the film. Dwight Henry is truly something in his turn as the protagonist Hushpuppy's father, Wink. He is convincing in every facet of his reasonably complex portrayal of an imperiled father. You may say, "Well, he's just playing himself." In response, "He's not. He may be a father, but he lives in New Orleans and had to be convinced to audition because he couldn't afford to not work at the small bakery he owns in the 7th Ward to go across the street and read for the producers and director." He's a revelation who has unfortunately already stated that regardless of what happens, he's pretty much done acting. What a shame. Anyway moving on, the real revelation is Quvenzhane Wallis as the protagonist, a girl named Hushpuppy. Never having acted before, she really is something else. Many child acting performances receive acclaim because they are children and you simply don't expect children to be able to act at all much less some. In Wallis's case, she, a 7 or 8 year old I believe, deserves any award nominations and perhaps wins she may receive somewhere down the line. She acts better than half the paid bodies on celluloid these days and she too lives a normal life in a town, not one in the swamp. The only comparable performance I can liken hers to in terms of prowess and general effect is that of 9-year-old Justin Henry and the fabulous portrayal he gave in Kramer vs. Kramer. Garland in The Wizard of Oz is too old as is Peggy Ann Garner in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The difference between Wallis and Henry, however, is that Henry was a supporting player in a film in which his other 3 main actors were nominated for acting Oscars, of course with Hoffman and Streep winning and Alexander losing to Streep, Henry of course lost to Douglas though he should've lost to Duvall instead. Conversely, Wallis is required to carry an entire film. She is present in probably 80% of the fantastic film and she is magnetic. One more thing before I close. I don't usually have an issue with voice-overs in a film, but there are a few instances where I have almost pulled my hair out because they were so bad. Not the case here. Much of Wallis's lines, especially early on, are said via voice-over. This just makes Wallis's job even more difficult. She has to act convincingly without saying much of anything and simultaneously has to make the voice-over sound interesting so that people don't bludgeon themselves to death. It's an understatement to say that she succeeds completely. Her voice-ever melds eerily perfectly with everything that she does on screen, something that the cinematographer, film editor, and sound editors also all deserve major kudos for. In closing, Benh Zeitlin, please work your magic many times again, preferably sometime soon.Toplist comment on IMDb's Shorts Top 50
mpatison
Did anybody see the animated short that won the Oscar this year, The Fantastic Flying Book of Mr. Morris Lessmore? It was incredible and should be included on this list for sure. It's the best animated short put out in years.