Latest screening: Winter's Bone

Winter’s Bone is bleak. There’s no denying that fact. It deals with a young woman in a tough situation in a brutal environment surrounded by unlikeable characters. It is therefore all the more impressive that this is such an engaging and stunning piece of cinema.

Eschewing the sorts of back-water clichés (both in character development, or lack thereof, and plot-points) any Hollywood film would embrace to throw against the heroine Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) Winter’s Bone manages to wring real, believable characters from even its most loathsome of antagonists. Every moment of the film from quiet trekking across a barren landscape to familial pleasures and concerns to moments of disturbing violence, threat and discovery is treated with a sense of absolute truth

Nothing feels false here and there isn’t a performance that lets it down, even the young kids that play Ree’s younger siblings can’t be faulted and Dale Dickey, probably best known as trailer-trash hooker Patty in sitcom My Name Is Earl, pulls off a brilliant job in probably the film’s hardest role – a loathsome bitch matriarchal character who could have, and would have, descended into caricature in most hands.

John Hawkes is equally brilliant as Ree’s uncle Teardrop. His frustrations and fury show in his eyes and despite his slight frame you sense exactly why people in this world might be afraid of and respectful toward him. He is a powder-keg but he has a heart. It is another fine balancing job that could have been overplayed. He could have been a monster yet despite his initially unsympathetic, and at moments appalling, treatment of his niece you understand him and you feel for him. A moment of tension with the local sheriff (Garret Dillahunt) is riveting.

But while surrounded by excellent performances from experienced character actors the film belongs to Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence was very good in the under-seen (but admittedly only so-so) The Burning Plain but is a revelation here. This is breakout stardom good. Lawrence is virtually never off screen and yet holds you enthralled in her quest and trials that you couldn’t tear your eyes away if you tried. I swear there could have been a seven hour cut of this film and no one would get up to even go to the toilet Lawrence’s performance is so compelling.

It will be interesting to see her as Mystique in the new X-Men movie, playing in a role that makes immersive belief much more difficult, because in Winter’s Bone you never doubt her for a second. If you were told this were a documentary you could believe it. In a just world Lawrence would easily walk away with a slew of Best Actress awards this year but small independent films with no star names have trouble getting attention and so I fear it is a very long shot to the gold. Still noms like that for Melissa Leo in Frozen River mean it’s possible. In fact that film and Wendy & Lucy are good examples of films that if you liked them you are sure to love this. Only, Winter’s Bone is far better a film than either.

Director Debra Granik has delivered on every level. This may well be the best film of the year. It certainly is so far.

***** (5 stars)