Winter's Bone (8/10)

What a triumph for an independant film that is this masterpiece. It gave a real and grave look at the reality of the characters in this movie, of their daily lives and the harsh existence.

From the travelling by foot of its main character played by Jennifer Lawrence, which happened a lot in the movie; it gave such a dire feel, producing the enormity of the plight and determination of Lawrence's character. You could even feel the relief when you saw the characters in a car driving.

That's how good director Debra Granik, who also wrote the screenplay, was able to capture the essence of the place, the wintery weather and the livelihood of a small community.

But the main focus was of course Lawrence and her great performance that shot her to stardom. Playing a young girl who was forced to fend for herself and her family who depended solely on her. And culminating in what she had to go through in the final scenes that left chills in my bones, literally.

However, due to the indie nature of the film, the pacing I felt was slow at certain points. Nevertheless, it was inescapable and inevitable if the overall movie had to give its audience that kind of feeling.