REVIEW | Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis) is a 6-year-old girl living in a Louisana bayou called The Bathtub and her mind is always running with philosophical thoughts like beautiful poetry. Hushpuppy has no mama, but converses to her from time to time, and her daddy (Dwight Henry) is ill and an alcoholic. And the isolated and poverty-stricken Bathtub is precariously floating in water, which means an arrival of a storm would be the end of the world for the proud residents, like the Great Flood, with ancient aurochs released from the ice caps that would come and eat them.

Beasts of the Southern Wild, from the astonishing directorial debut of Benh Zeitlin, and which won prizes in this year's Sundance and Cannes, will take you on a rich and emotionally stirring journey through the poetic soul of a small child, played exceptionally well by newcomer Quvenzhane Wallis. Rather than simply tell a story, Zeitlin makes you experience Hushpuppy's struggle for courage and survival with stunning cinematography and lyrical commentaries.

The film seems to echo the Hurricane Katrina devastation; the poetic observations on the universe calls to mind Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life; and the stark and archaic shots of nature and the destitute community of the bayou reminiscent of Winter’s Bone. But Zeitlin perfectly balances the narrative and imagery, the reality and fantasy, that nothing feels out of place, or even excessive. 

The real gem of the film, however, is the father-daughter relationship between Hushpuppy and Wink, played with impressive rawness by Wallis and Henry, both untrained actors (Dwight Henry is, in fact, a baker, discovered by the producers while he was serving his famous homemade doughnuts in New Orleans). Behind the angry and ruthless exterior of their relationship is a moving tale of familial love and care that would put a lump in your throat (and for a weeper like me to cry from time to time). 

Beasts, garnering universal praises, is a one-of-a-kind experience. The story may be too thin for it to linger, but it's a pleasantly artistic and highly absorbing film, oftentimes deeply touching, and the poetic words and powerful performances will definitely be remembered.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Trailer