Film Review: Take Mesmerizing Journey with ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’

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CHICAGO – Benh Zeitlin’s “Beasts of the Southern Wild” is a stunning debut, one of those films that shows such a unique and refined personality that it instantly places its creator on those indie lists of “directors to watch” that writers like to whip out when news streams run dry. Working with a cast of unknown, inexperienced actors, Zeitlin presents viewers with a poetic journey to a corner of the country that’s not often seen on film, certainly not with this degree of artistic integrity. Part fairy tale, part poverty drama, part family saga, and part something completely indescribable – “Beasts of the Southern Wild” is one of the best films of the year so far.

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.5/5.0
Rating: 4.5/5.0

Narrated by six-year-old Hushpuppy (the amazingly natural and riveting Quvenzhane Wallis) and often seen through her unique set of eyes, “Beasts of the Southern Wild” is a story of people who live WAY off the grid. Hushpuppy lives in a ramshackle shed with her father Wink (Dwight Henry) in a water-logged section of Louisiana known as the “Bathtub.” It’s off shore from New Orleans, where land and water mix, where people make their own liquor, where children have to act like adults to survive, and where the typical trappings of everyday life to which you might be accustomed are a thing of myth. Everything seems more extreme in the Bathtub. The film opens with a series of celebratory sequences – a parade, drinking, laughing, fireworks, etc. But there will be other extremes as well.

StarRead Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Beasts of the Southern Wild” in our reviews section.

Not only is a deadly storm coming to the Bathtub (it’s clearly designed to at least bring about memories of Katrina if not specifically be that legendary hurricane) but Wink is in need of serious medical attention. He keeps disappearing and returning with hospital scrubs and medical bracelets, almost as if he’s a wild animal who’s being tagged and sent back to the wild. He stumbles, he drinks, he hits & neglects Hushpuppy, but he’s not painted as a villain. Wink and Hushpuppy live completely in the moment. They need to eat, they eat. They want to drink, they drink. They are almost instinctual in their behavior and judging them is not something that seems to interest Zeitlin or co-screenwriter Lucy Alibar. They merely want to tell their story.

StarContinue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Beasts of the Southern Wild” review.

“Beasts of the Southern Wild” stars Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry. It was written by Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin and directed by Zeitlin. It is rated PG-13 and is now playing in NY & LA, opening in Chicago on July 6, 2012.

Beasts of the Southern Wild
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight

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