I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

Blistering performances.

Perhaps the most important thing about this film is what it can teach young filmmakers about vision and budget.Sometimes you really CAN make a film with non-union talent and really score a KNOCKOUT! Does a filmmaker need to spend millions on pricey talent? NO!Does a film need recognizable actors to have a cinematic impact? NO! Can non-union talent OUT PERFORM union actors? YES! Beasts of the Southern Wild was one of the finest movies of 2012.You simply couldn't improve this film.It is absolute perfection!I wish all movies were this engaging and enjoyable.Lesson learned.

An imaginative and beautifully shot film about a coming of age story. A story that follows the six-year-old Hushpuppy is told front such an interesting point of view as the line between reality and imagination is so blurred in the eyes of our main protagonist. It is a journey of finding courage and also love. The film was beautifully shot completed with an amazing performance from a child actress. It is interesting to see this character having all of these connections to the world around her, and her perhaps more primitive outlooks on these social archetypes that we perhaps hold our own views of. This film takes modern societies outlooks on rules, nature and machinery and turns it all around from a point of view of a young child. A Lot of these events are magical and wonderous while others are disjointed and nonsensical. But really, other than the performance and this innovative 'point of view' this film lacks in many ways too. Especially with the overall flow of the movie, many scenes can be incoherent and mismatched making it overall quite confusing. The idea is at the right place surely but the execution in terms of the scene by scene can really make the film seem pointless although it is a shame because behind this there is such a story to be told. I do believe that this could have and should have been done a lot better. I also found myself quite disoriented and nauseated at times by the hand held camera technique which may be argued was the whole point, but really? Overall an alright film with some beautiful scenes and an amazing idea/story to be told but poor and misleading execution of the film may be its downfall.

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD is one of those Oscar-winning movies that I missed out on seeing the first time around, and I really didn't have much of a motivation to actually watch it since the Academy Awards aren't terribly important to me. Still, I am glad that I finally decided to break down and watch it because there were aspects of it that really spoke to me on an emotional level.It stars Quvenzhane Wallis as Hushpuppy, a young girl who lives with her father in a Louisiana bayou community called the Bathtub. There isn't a concrete story, per se, instead following Hushpuppy around as she learns how the world works and is gradually exposed to what a harsh place it can be. One central theme is the fragility of human communities, and how one thing going wrong can lead to loss of balance and equilibrium. A prime real-world example of this, and one that I think the film took inspiration from, is Hurricane Katrina. This is never addressed in the film, either directly or indirectly, but the specter of that natural disaster hangs over it like a cloud. There is also fragility in the sense that the levee is the only thing that keeps the Bathtub functioning and thriving, and its destruction radically changes life for its residents.Another theme, which was more applicable to me than the proudly defiant and resilient Bayou community, was that of bravery and courage in the face of death. Having recently (yesterday), just gone through the loss of my grandfather, the way in which Hushpuppy has do deal with the impending loss of her father hit very close to home. And connecting to the previous theme, her father is a vital part of her world and losing him is something she has to come to terms with, even for being so young and impressionable. This brings me to my general impression of the film, and that is a child's view of the world, innocent and optimistic. We often try to shield our young from the trials and travails that life sometimes has in store, but inevitably they will experience these things and we need to prepare them for when that time comes.As far as quality goes, I could take or leave the hand-held shooting style but I will at least admit that it works in a naturalistic sort of way and meshes well with the naturalistic performances given by the cast. The performances themselves were decent, and Quvenzhane Wallis was particularly good, although I would probably chalk this up more to the director than Wallis herself. I also appreciated the on-location shooting which shows off the natural beauty of the Lousiana bayou. What didn't quite work for me, and maybe it's because I didn't quite "get" it, was the aurochs. The metaphorical use of these extinct creatures came off as a little too pretentious for me and the film probably would have been just as effective without them. Perhaps they were supposed to represent the "beasts" in the title but there were already enough real animals in the film to illustrate Hushpuppy's connection with them, and of course the "human animal." Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this film. It started off a little bit on shaky ground, but as the film progressed it grew on me and I was completely on-board with it by the end. It might be too artsy for some due to its meandering story structure and ponderous voice-over, but it does a good job of probing the psyche of a child and examining how we as humans fit into the natural world. If Terrence Malick is too difficult to get into for you but you still like a thought-provoking, imaginative film, then this will probably do just fine.

and it became the youngest Academy Award nominee for her marvelous performance here. Thumbs up for Quvenzhané Wallis in Benh Zeitlin's first feature film. This was one of the big winners once the nominations were announced. Apart from Wallis and a screenplay nod, the film also managed to get in for Best Picture and Zeitlin as director over notable competition from Bigelow, Nolan, Affleck and Hooper. To me the film almost felt like a documentary about the little girl's life and interactions with people, mostly her father, played competently by Dwight Henry. Maybe this was also as Hushpuppy did not speak much in the film itself, but narrated it. These people are maybe the most interesting thing about the film. They have their very own mentality, unique ways of life and survival constantly battling dangerous water. The early firework scene with Hushpuppy running is one of the most memorable shots.Another thing I found interesting was the way how these people interacted with nature, with water of course, but also with plants and animals. The film's audio effects are nothing short of great from start to finish: ringing bells, sparkling fire, wild water and many more. As I witnessed a flood not too long ago, this film also had a bit of a different impact than the first time I watched it. The relationship between Hushpuppy and her father is pretty memorable. Even if he is rough, slaps her at one point (well, she burnt down the house) and scares her at another, he is a loving father who only wants the best for his daughter. He is very rough, but also very caring. I remember one scene where he tells her that she will be the king of the Bathtub one day. Pay attention how he does not say queen. He really isn't about her being a playful little girl, but more a practical human being. Her hair fits that characterization nicely too. When they are at the hospital later on, she looks like a girl, but obviously she won't act like one.After the introduction to Hushpuppy's world, the film is basically all about the fights of the people. But at the same time, it is also about how the strength of their community helps them to cope with these issues. One fight is against the water. One is against those who want them to go away. And the last one is against sickness. And even if this one is lost, the ending is very hopeful and uplifting after the truly sad farewell scene thanks to Hushpuppy's final words and the music when the closing credits roll in. It's also interesting that there is really no bad people in this movie, only people who act like they are supposed to or in order to have what (they think) is best for them, even the hospital employees who mostly want to help, even if the group around Hushpuppy doesn't really see it and refuses their help, especially Hushpuppy's dad. I also really liked the song that played when little Hushpuppy was dancing with the waitress. The lyrics fit their dialog perfectly."Beasts of the Sounthern Wild" is a good film with more strengths than weaknesses and lots of interesting metaphors (the auroxen in particular) and I recommend watching it.