If there's one reason to see Debra Granik's "Winter's Bone", it's for a potent performance by Jennifer Lawrence, who will surely receive an Ocar nomination for this film. Set in the American Ozark region, the film is a low budget, effective thriller in which 17-year old Ree (Lawrence) sets off to find her father, a crystal meth cook who's disappeared - leaving behind his three children and medicated, mentally ill wife. Ree takes care of all of them. As the quietly desperate and committed Ree, Lawrence is haunting, even if the film as a whole lacks a final electric surge, which is a pity since the film's success lies in its slow cooking tension. Like "Frozen River" two years ago, the film is aesthetically spartan, featuring a rough look that fittingly frames the rugged environment in which the characters find themselves.
John Hawkes is so good as the reluctant uncle, Teardrop, that I'm surprised that we haven't heard him receive more acclaim for this role. He embodies malice in one scene, and surprising tenderness the next. He's the second best thing in this character driven drama that, while well written (the dialogue is often striking) and functionally minimalist, fails to sustain its momentum all the way through. (The ending, I have to admit, is perfect.)
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