Winter's Bone - 8 stars out of 10

Winter's Bone - 8 stars out of 10

"Winter's Bone" is a unique sociological look into life in the Ozark Mountains. I love the synopsises that say that the lead must navigate through a "dangerous social terrain" - that description is spot on. Jennifer Lawrence shows acting maturity beyond her 20-year-old body as every line is delivered by her or to her. Few characters are involved in every moment of the film as Ree is, but Lawrence handled it masterfully. I believe that in a 5-nomination year, "Winter's Bone" would not have received an Oscar nod for Best Picture, but it certainly deserved its nominations for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Screenplay. Perhaps the craziest performance came from Dale Dickey. Her character was insane and she brought the raw nastiness necessary to make an old, 5'2 female character terrifying. The story took some very unexpected turns. When I saw the chainsaw, I kept thinking "What is that thing for?" I wish I hadn't found out. That definitely has earned a spot on my list of most devastating movie moments. And the devastation comes completely from Lawrence's facial expressions during that sequence. Winter's Bone is a bit unconventional but really pushes the boundaries of the sociological drama.