Saturday, September 1, 2012

Beasts of the Southern Wild


What is this sad, hopeful and totally wonderful world director Behn Zeitlin has created in Beasts of the Southern Wild?  A young girl named Hushpuppy (an astounding and preternaturally gifted young actress Quvenzhané Wallis) lives with her ailing father Wink (an affecting Dwight Henry) in separate mobile homes in a backwash region of a low-lying coastal city that is threatened by winds, water and wild boar. To say this film is surprising is such an understatement that I'm a bit embarraassed to use it. But it is such a refreshing cinematic experience, totally devoid of cliche and sentiment but absorbing, heartbreaking and uplifting. It's a revelation that walks the line between stark reality and magical realism. See it at once.

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Final Destination: Bloodlines

  I am unabashed in my affection for the Final Destination franchise, whose pedigree extends back to the beloved X-files TV series and film....