Beasts of the Southern Wild Review

     I was starting to get worried about 2012 as a year for film. There were many good movies released this year, but there weren't really any that reached that certain level of greatness that a few films every year usually reach. The Dark Knight Rises was emotionally strong, but plagued by script issues. The Avengers was fun, but lacked the emotional weight to get to that next level. I was worried that there wouldn't be any films like that this year, then I saw Beasts of the Southern Wild.
     The story of Beasts of the Southern Wild is simple enough. A young girl living in a poor bayou called the bathtub must survive with her father when a flood destroys their hometown. What is remarkable about this movie is the way that is told. The filmmaking style and script are so intimate that they force you to have an emotional connection with these characters. It really feels like you, as an audience, are getting to know these people and the world they live in. This has a great effect for the audience. By the end of the film, these aren't just characters in a movie, they're people, and they're far from perfect, but you become so attached to them and their struggles that you're willing to forgive them for their flaws.
     Part of the reason that this is able to work is because of the level of the acting. Quvenzhane Wallis is a true revelation as the protagonist, Hushpuppy. She shows a surprising strength and confidence as the character, which is truly surprising for an actress who turned 8 just a few days ago. Her performance is so brilliant and emotional that it's easy to forget that she's an actress, since she seems so real. Dwight Henry is also great as her tough, but loving father. He is able to convey the love he has for his daughter. Even when it seems like he's being rough with her, you can tell that he's doing everything out of love and care.
     The focus of the film is not on creating a straightforward narrative, though it does have one. It focuses more on creating characters, and themes of human strength and love. There are many aspects of the story that don't seem to fit in with the plot, but they serve a greater purpose, driving home the themes in such a way that doesn't seem too forceful, all at the same time being shown in a very cool way.
     I only hope that I am not making it seem like a super-serious and depressing meditation on life, because it's not. While it primarily functions as a character study, these characters are so rich and developed, even the minor ones, that it is fun just to watch them. The movie is not only emotionally resonant, but entertaining and, at times, truly funny. But the one constant is that it constantly feels real. The characters, the setting, everything feels so real that I was truly surprised to find out that The Bathtub, the area that these characters call home, does not actually exist.
     The film is satisfying on almost every level. It also connects to its protagonist in its confidence and bravery. It doesn't try to make itself accessible to a wide audience. It knows what it is, and goes for that full force. If you like it, then you like it. If you don't, you don't. But like it or not, it is a powerful exercise and one that is a full product of the people involved. The film didn't have a huge budget, but it didn't let that hold it back. Director Benh Zeitlin told the story that he wanted to tell, and that is something that is truly inspirational.
Grade: A

Paranorman Review

     Paranorman, from the makers of Coraline, continues the trend of stop-motion animation being a home for scary movies for kids. I'm not sure what it is about the medium, but it seems like, while CGI animation is dominated by cute, kiddie fare and hand drawn animation is all but dead, stop motion seems to deal almost exclusively with creepy, but kid friendly, stories. It is also the most consistant of the animation mediums.
     There must be a reason for this consistancy. My guess is that it's the amount of effort that goes in. Computer animation is easy, or at least easier. It's regularly used, even in live action movies, over practical effects because it's easier and cheaper to just do things in post-production. Stop-motion animation, however, requires a ton of effort. The animators have to move the characters and objects into position for every single frame. If they're putting that much effort in, you can be sure they're going to make sure its for a product they can be proud of.  And the good news is that they can be very proud of Paranorman. They have created a wonderful film that should please both children and adults just the same.
     Paranorman's premise is cute, but creepy: a bullied child who can see and speak to ghosts must save his town when the dead begin to rise. The film starts of as a gleefuly macabre exercise, using its premise largely for humor which is actually very clever. As the story moves forward, however, the film's tone changes. It gets much more dramatic and thoughtful. It's wonderful and surprising that a film with these animated characters can have this level of heart and intensity, while simultaneously remaining fun for the audience no matter their ages.
     And that's an important thing to stress. This is a family film, not a kids film. The difference is that kids films are made solely for the very young, with little care as to whether or not their parents will enjoy it, since the parents have to buy a ticket anyway. Family films, however, are meant for a whole family to enjoy together. This means that it has jokes and a story that are simple enough for children to enjoy, but it may have more mature themes and layers so that older children and adults can still enjoy it. Paranorman very much fits that bill. It has some very easy, broad humor, but it also has some mature themes and some truly creepy moments that will easily scare younger kids. (things do get very intense towards the end) All of this comes together to make Paranorman a great film for a whole family to enjoy, with good humor, cool animation and a mature and creepy story that will engross everyone who sees it.
Grade: A-

Ted Review

     Ted is a funny movie. for many of you reading this, that last sentence is enough of a recommendation for you to go see it. It's also true. If you go see Ted, chances are you will laugh. And since that's all Ted really set out to do, it must then be called a success.

     But how successful is it. Coming from the maker of Family Guy, it had a lot of potential. Family Guy, in its heyday, was a truly clever show that disguised itself as a thoroughly stupid show. It had plots that served very little purpose and were thus given very little attention. The jokes were the reason that people watched the show, and Seth MacFarlane knew it and provided them, no matter how much sense they made in their context. Because of that, there was hope that Ted could somehow function as a return of the 80s style of comedy that treated plot as a loose connection between the never-ending barrage of jokes. 

     However, Ted never quite achieves that level, settling instead to function as a standard, if above average, comedy film. A lot of the jokes are very random, and very funny, but there is always the plot looming in the background, which is given too much focus and, simply put, distracts from the laughs. This is only a minor gripe, until the third act, when almost all sense of comedy is lost in favor of tying up the story. If it had just been about a living teddy bear, and been just an hour and a half of jokes related to that, then this could have been a perfect and special comedy. However, in the end it's just a standard comedy with some above average jokes. 

     But you will laugh.

Grade: B