Listonixio
Fresh and Exciting
CommentsXp
Best movie ever!
BallWubba
Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.
Tweekums
Hushpuppy is a six year old girl who lives in a small community in Louisiana known as 'The Bathtub'. Bathtub is a remote settlement that is cut off by the levee which protects the rest of the state. Hushpuppy lives there with her father, Wink, although she has her own house. Shortly after she has an argument with her father she burns her house to the ground; the next night a cataclysmic storm strikes the area and The Bathtub is flooded, its population survive by taking to a collection of boats. Soon they are 'rescued' and it emerges that her father is dying; the authorities want to treat him but he and Hushpuppy just want to get home to The Bathtub. Meanwhile we see creatures emerging from the Arctic ice; presumable the aurochs that Hushpuppy had recently heard about in school.This film was an utter delight thanks to young Quvenzhané Wallis's amazing performance as Hushpuppy; she makes us believe in her character even as disaster unfolds around her. Dwight Henry also impresses as her father; it is hard to believe that neither of these actors had appeared in a film before… just like the rest of the cast. The story contains moments that are genuinely hilarious as well as some tear-jerking moments. The community does have a somewhat fantastical feel to it; they appear to be dirt-poor but are happy living apart from 'civilisation'… perhaps such communities do exist in remote areas. The only part of the film I was unsure of was the 'aurochs'; I was never really sure whether they were real, in the context of the film, or something imagined by Hushpuppy; I assumed the latter but a scene near the end suggested they might be real. Overall I'd certainly recommend this utterly charming film to anybody looking for something rather different.
Dominic LeRose
Indpent films rarely posses as much visual beauty and poignant literary techniques as "Beasts of the Southern Wild," a gem of a movie that encompasses philosophical questions about the meaning of life and will have you moved from start to finish. Faced with both her hot-tempered father's fading health and melting ice-caps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy must learn the ways of courage and love. Thisn movie seems to be all over the place for most of the film, and took me a couple viewings to truly understand the beauty and meaning behind the film. No worries. This masterpiece of visual and written art by young filmmaker Ben Zeitlen tests traditional summer movies and gives you a film that causes a wide range of emotions and excites the eyes due to the gorgeous cinematography and marvelous directorial skills by a young and talented wizard of cinema.
Per Johnsen
This is perhaps the best film that I have seen since the turn of the millennium. In fact it's hard to believe that the characters in it really are actors, that's how magically real it is. Still, it also appears as surreal. The simple universe of the Bath Tub, with the struggle to survive and the fight against being evacuated by the officials on one side, and a young girl's thoughts and dreams about the universe and seeing her mama on the other side, is brilliantly mixed in to an epic creation perhaps beyond any film I have ever seen. Only 'Underground' and 'Brazil' is matching this. The acting is superb and it's very hard not to believe that the characters are from real life, something very rare these days. Above all actors are Quvenzhané Wallis in the main role and Dwight Henry as her dying dad. Evereyone and everything else is also simply terrific, all the way from directing to photography, screenplay, casting, makeup, editing and special effects to costume design, set decoration and everyone in the art department. I have to mention them all, because they all deserve top credits. It's hard to understand that this film didn't get any of the Oscars it got nominated to. The cast and crew certainly deserve all the awards and nominations they got. If the rating could go to 11 or 12, I would have given it another star or two. I will see this film again.
g-bodyl
At this point, I have no idea what to make of Beasts of the Southern Wild. The film received ecstatic reviews from critics, but the general response seems to be.....underwhelming. This film is a fantasy film, but it's one that requires some thinking skills. People have interpreted this film in so many ways. I think the overall moral is about courage and strength, as the young Hushpuppy exhibits in the film. The film seemed to take place after Hurricane Katrina, which raises some more interesting thoughts. The film seems interesting enough and it's definitely well-made, but it may require a second viewing for a more accurate reaction.Benh Zeitlin's film is about this 6-year-old girl who lives in an isolated bayou community with her father and a bunch of other folks and their way of living is more....medieval. When her father succumbs to an illness, Hushpuppy must find a cure despite the ice caps melting and the unleashing of these prehistoric carnivores.One thing I cannot complain about is the acting. Young Quvenzhane Wallis commands such a screen presence. Her debut acting role is one that people still talk about to this day. Also deserving credit is the role of her father, Dwight Henry. He did a great job as the tough, but loving father.Overall, Beasts of the Southern Wild is one of those films that seem quite decisive. To truly understand the film, one is most likely going to have to watch the film multiple times. It's a very-well made film that has great acting and fantastic directing. I also adored the score for the film as it seems just right for the kind of film it is. But to figure out the main theme, well it's anyone guess at this point. I rate this film 8/10.
