Winter's Bone - B+

In theaters. Rated R, 110 minutes. Trailer.

Winter's Bone is a bleak rendering of a month in the life of a resourceful but hopeless 17 year old girl (Ree) living in poverty and meth in the Ozarks. Since her father has abandoned her and her two young siblings (not to mention her catatonic wife) to go cook meth with guys named Stump and Little Arthur, she is left to care and provide for the family. Trouble is, her dad put their homestead up as a bond to get out of jail before his latest trial and if he doesn't show up, they will lose the house. She sets out to find him and finds a whole lot of trouble instead. Click below for more on squirrel skinning and cutting off hands in a boat!:

Eschewing the traditional greek comedy or tragedy arcs, this film is more like a downward diagonal with a tiny jump back up at the end. From the opening frames, writer/director Debbie Granik (she adapted the novel of the same name by Daniel Woodrell) overwhelms the screen with images of poverty and struggle. Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) is smart but stuck without any way out. As she goes on a tense and fruitless search for her father, she runs into lots of scary characters and sad stories. Her uncle, Teardrop (John Hawkes), proves a very interesting and tragic part of her life.

This film makes the viewer tense for the last 90 minutes, because you don't know what type of reaction she is going to get as she begins delving into different layers of criminal activity. The tension and the hopelessness are offset by the resolve and dignity of Ree and her fight for her family. The film highlights issues such as poverty, male sorriness, rural traditions and other meaty topics. The only positive adult role model in the film is a military recruiter - a refreshingly portrayal. Its possible this one will grow into an A- once I watch it on video, but I was too freaked out during the initial viewing to appreciate the nuance.

Expect an adapted screenplay nomination for Granik, a lead actress nomination for Lawrence and a supporting actor nod for Hawkes, who gives my favorite performance of the year so far. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at this year's 2010 Sundance film festival.

Here's a must-read article about the making of the film and Granik's process.