A modern fairy tale with elements of magical realism, Beasts resonates powerfully as an uplifting story of great humanism as it focuses on the tenacity of a group of south Louisiana bayou residents nearly undone by a terrible storm. It is a beautifully acted, gorgeously rendered and emotionally riveting work, with an evocative musical score.
Shot in the coastal parishes of Louisiana, it is a film more concerned with feelings and impressions than a linear plot, as if it were made directly from the artistic right side of the brain.
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Beasts is set in a mythical area referred to as "The Bathtub," a close-knit community isolated from the rest of the world by a giant levee.
The tale is told from the perspective of 6-year-old Hushpuppy, played by newcomer Quvenzhané Wallis. That she was only 5 during the filming and had never acted represents a huge gamble taken by director Benh Zeitlin, who co-wrote the script, based on a play by Lucy Alibar. Young Wallis' inexperience is an asset. She has a dynamic, natural quality that believably c onveys the blend of fearlessness and innocence of her preternaturally wise character.
Hushpuppy is being raised by her father, Wink (Dwight Henry), who is seriously ill. Wink is a complex combination of a loving and harsh father. Henry, who gives a terrific performance, also had never acted, having worked in a New Orleans bakery.
About the movie
Beasts of the Southern Wild
***1/2 out of four
Stars: Quvenzhane Wallis, Dwight Henry, Gina Montana
Director: Benh Zeitlin
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Rating: PG-13 for thematic material including child imperilment, some disturbing images, language and brief sensuality
Running time: 1 hour, 31 minutes
Opens Wednesday in select cities
Wink's goal is to teach his daughter how to survive on her own. At times Wink seems infuriatingly uncaring, at others we see that he loves his daughter fiercely, but he is a broken man.
Serving as ballast for her precarious existence is Hushpuppy's vivid imagination and a brave wild-child outlook on nature. And, like any child, she is occasionally terrified. Given her dire circumstances, her fears are well-founded. The sinister and beastly forms that those fears take have a surreal quality that heightens the mythic feel of the story.
This family drama/adventure saga is not without flaws. Sometimes it teeters close to an oversimplification of extreme poverty. Though dirt-poor, everyone in The Bathtub lives in harmony, and animals roam happily amid the grime and deprivation. But the honesty of the performances, the dreamlike beauty of the photography and Zeitlin's ability to convey a celebratory Louisiana sensibility overshadow those borderline clichéd elements.
Watch three clips from 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'
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