Winter's Bone

**** – Along with the weird and backwards bayou people of the Gulf Coast of Florida and other Deep South states, the hillbilly yokels of the Ozark Mountains in Missouri are amongst the oddest and most primitive of anyone living in the United States. The 2009 film “Winter’s Bone” is set amongst these toothless shack-dwellers who are often hooked on crank and seem to dine almost exclusively on potatoes and squirrel meat. I’m no expert on these sad fiddle-and-banjo playing rednecks, but what is presented on screen in this tale of a 17-year old girl’s struggle to find her reprobate meth-cooker father while also trying to take care of her two younger siblings and debilitated mother certainly has an authentic feel to it. The houses are dilapidated fire hazards, the yards are cluttered with enormous amounts of junk, there are mangy mutts running all over the place, and everyone wears torn camouflage pants and dirty third or fourth hand pop culture t-shirts from the 80s. That’s pretty much what I imagine when I think about those people (not that I think of them particularly frequently, mind you). Anyway, along with the authentic feel, this film creates a pretty good atmosphere and also is rather well shot and acted by just about every participant. It has its slow spots and dull moments, but seeing as this isn’t meant to be an action-packed thriller I can’t really fault the movie for that. Overall, I’d have to say that it is a very nicely shaped and performed artistic work.