Plot: What’s it about?
There are a lot of movies that come and go over the course of the year. Yes, we hear all about the big budget blockbusters like “Inception” or “Harry Potter” but then there’s everything else. “Winter’s Bone” is one of the those that not a lot of people heard about (unless you were at Sundance and most of us weren’t) until award time. Now that’s not to say that the bigger budget films are any more deserving of attention, it’s just that they’ve got studio support and a budget for commercials and the like. Films like “Winter’s Bone” usually have to rely on word of mouth to get around. Still, that did happen and come Oscar time this little film managed to garner four Academy Award nominations. And these weren’t insignificant ones, either…we’re talking Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. Not too shabby. So we’ve got this “critically acclaimed” film with a total of zero special effects, a soundtrack that will utilize about 15% of your speakers and maybe a few minutes of bona fide action in the entire movie. Here’s why you should watch.
Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) is the unofficial mother of her family. Her father is missing, her mother is mentally ill and she’s looking after her two much younger siblings. Add to this that life isn’t exactly booming in the backwoods of Missouri and the majority of the town is either addicted to or making Crystal Meth. Ree gets a visit from the town Sheriff (Garret Dillahunt) who informs her that her father is missing and is due to appear in court. He’s also got a bond and if he doesn’t show, they’ll foreclose on the house and Ree will pretty much lose everything she has (which isn’t much to begin with). Ree decides to start asking around to various members of the town, many of which are distant relatives, but is told that she needs to keep her head down and her mouth shut. She ignores this advice and continues along with her interrogations which eventually lands her in the hands of the town patriarch. She’s beaten, but her uncle Teardrop (John Hawkes) vouches for her. Will Ree ever be able to get to the bottom of the mystery of her father or will the system shut her down?
After hearing all the buzz about the movie and having subsequently seen the film I’d have to say that “Winter’s Bone” is certainly worth a viewing. It’s not an inspiring movie and as I mentioned before, it’s not something that’ll get your pulse pounding. I will say that the acting is superb, though both Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes were fighting losing battles awards-wise (with Natalie Portman and Christian Bale claiming the awards in their respective categories). Some films rely on CGI to propel them and others with mindless action. “Winter’s Bone” does no such thing. It’s a character study and the characters, though not attractive, tell the story. The closest thing I can liken this movie to is “McCabe and Mrs. Miller” with Warren Beatty and Julie Christie. Film critic Roger Ebert said it best (in regards to that movie) “… they’re there along with everybody else in town, and the movie just happens to be about their lives.”
Video: How does it look?
Visually “Winter’s Bone” is about as desolate as they come. The majority of the film takes place in the barren, leafless trees in the backwoods of the Ozarks. Most of the outdoor scenes are washed out due to the absence of the sun and the 1.85:1 AVC HD transfer looks sharp and vivid, though the color palette is minimal at best. Detail is excellent, just look at the wrinkles, facial hair and tattoos on Teardrop’s face. Contrast and black levels look good as well, but if it’s a sunny, bright movie you’re looking for – look elsewhere.
Audio: How does it sound?
I believe I mentioned this above, but although the DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack does exist, it’s one of the most subtle tracks I’ve heard in a while. Yes, there’s a score, but not much of one. The majority of the film is dialogue-driven and some of the actors’ accents are so thick, that it took me a few seconds just to decipher what they were saying (and this is coming from someone who grew up in the south). While the actual volume isn’t an issue in that you won’t have to turn your receiver up to hear what they’re saying, it’s just not representative of what we think a lossless Blu-ray should sound like. Is that bad? Absolutely not.
Supplements: What are the extras?
As far as supplements go, this one has a good selection. We start out with an audio commentary track by director Debra Granik and director of photography Michal McDonough. Their discussion is about the filming, the adaptation and the physical challenges of shooting in the temperatures. It’s an interesting track with lots of information about the shoot. We get the obligatory “Making of ‘Winter’s Bone'”, though this one is a cut above the typical EPK that are so standard. This runs about 45 minutes or so and is actually filled with some good interviews and tidbits about the film. We also get an alternate opening that’s not so alternate along with ten minutes of deleted scenes with a bit of explanation as to the scene itself. Finally we get “Hardscrabble Elegy” in that it’s just some footage of the property that was used to film the movie. The theatrical trailer is also included.
