And I have to tell you guys, that I was actually pleasantly surprised.
First off, here's the trailer once again:
Emőke said that the movie will probably not live up to either the trailer or the title. Now, I have to disagree with her.
I adored this movie.
It freakin' made me bawl like a little bitch (and thinking about it still brings some tears to my eyes).
The little girl (Quvenzhané Wallis) was absolutely amazing in this role. She's a genius, I swear. Now SHE is an actor. She is the best freaking actor I've seen for quite some while, and she's only like 10 years old!
If she doesn't win an Oscar for this, I don't know who the hell will (but I will detest that person till the end of my days).
All right, now on to what the movie is actually about.
The storyline goes like this: the little girl lives with her daddy, who is very ill, in a place called Bathtub - which is probably called that way, because it is pretty much a flood-hazard. When the storm comes, with the actual flood only a couple of people stay behind the place, and they try to survive.
It doesn't sound like a huge story, does it? Well, let me tell you, that it is told in such a way, that it will twist your little heart all around and round and round until you'll give up at least one or two tears.
And it does this with only a few words - because if the whole movie has like 10 minutes of dialogue, that's a LOT.
And that's why I tell you guys that the actors are amazing. Making someone actually feel things without even saying anything is something that not many people can do. At least not in these days.
The whole story is told from Hushpuppy's point of view, and I absolutely loved to see the events unfold from the point of view of a child. Her courage and fears, her imagination, the way she sees herself as a grown up already. Absolutely amazing.
And although I usually don't like movies that were shot using a hand-held camera, for this one, it absolutely works out. It makes the whole thing look and feel REAL, instead of just trying to look like it.
I really don't understand all the people complaining about this movie. It just seems to me that they didn't understand the whole point of it - which is a really sad thing. Why? Because it saddens me to see that most people can't freaking recognize metaphors anymore. And different symbols.
"The whole universe depends on everything fitting together just right. If one piece busts, even the smallest piece... the entire universe will get busted. "
I think this an incredibly innocent way to look at life - and absolutely beautiful. Have you guys ever watched Touch, or maybe even Doctor Who? If the answer is yes, I think you will understand.
"When daddy kill me I won't be forgotten. I'm recording my story for the scientists in the future. In a million years, when kids go to school, they gonna know: Once there was a Hushpuppy, and she lived with her daddy in The Bathtub. "
Again. Another instance that brings back the innocence of childhood. First off, after doing something bad a child will always know that they will be punished - and they will probably be pretty afraid of it too. The second thing about it is that there is no child out there who never wanted to leave behind something big. You know, to make their names known. And that's once again what makes this movie amazing.
"For the animals that didn't have a dad to put them in a boat, the end of the world already happened. "
Need I say more?
This movie is not about global warming, political stance or child abuse.
It's a movie about surviving, growing up, and making a sense of this world. It's about getting to know not only the others around you, but also yourself.
It's about assuming responsibility.
And here's a little scene from the movie you will probably like:
