Beasts of the Southern Wild
2012  PG-13  DRAMA  1h 33min
CAST— Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry
MUSIC— Dan Romer, Benh Zeitlin  DIRECTOR— Benh Zeitlin  BASED ON— Juicy and Delicious (play), by Lucy Alibar

     The word for this one is “different”. In a portion of Louisiana known locally as the Bathtub, devastating floods are a regular occurrence, thanks to the levee in the distance. A young girl named Hushpuppy knows little other than mud and crawfish. Her father Wink, an emotionally distant occupant of an above-water shack, does his best at raising her to be tough, in mind and body, as do their fiercely independent yet resourceful close-knit community of fellow squatters. Wink knows that he’s dying, even though he refuses to confront his illness; thus his harsh attitude escalates. But Hushpuppy knows what’s going on, despite Wink’s denial. All the while there are voiceover reflections made by a somewhat existential though uneducated Hushpuppy, musings about how the universe works and how everyone plays their part. Interspersed throughout the film are depictions of aurochs, prehistoric cattle making their way to Hushpuppy (just why is sort of fuzzy). This is an example of a film that will either enthrall or repel the viewer, though strong performances and the sporadically seen aurochs are highlights. Hard to stomach at times, though there’s quite an emotional payoff. Different, indeed.
OUR RATING— **