THE BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (M) is an extraordinary film, a tempestuous magic realist movie with all the turbulence of a force 10 tornado generated by a hurricane performance by Quvenzhané Wallis as Hushpuppy, a sassy six year old who lives with her father Wink in BATHTUB in the bayous of Louisiana.

THE BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD is one of those movies that come along from time to time that defies description and makes reviewers just want to cut to the chase and say, “ Go. This film is going to transport you”.

Set in America, but not the homogenous Hollywood America so often served up in stars and stripes tripe. This is squalid United States, third world status, a foreign place of strange customs and speech and eats. Its grits and jowls and black eyed peas, catfish, buckets of beer and crustaceans.

Hushpuppy’s daddy is dying and her whole world seems to be disintegrating, like a personal Katrina has disrupted and uprooted her, her levees have been breached, banks busted, beasts baying for her blood. Buoyed by her childish optimism and extraordinary imagination, and desperate to repair the structure of her world in order to save her ailing father and sinking home, this tiny tornado must learn to survive unstoppable catastrophes of epic proportions.

Based on a stage play called Juicy and Delicious, it is hard to fathom such a cinematic piece had its origins in the theatre, but Lucy Alibar, the playwright, working with director Ben Zeitlin on the adaptation have made a marvellous and magical transition, transformative, transfixing, tantalisingly teasing. Ben also composed the music score with Dan Romer, which is one of the best scores of the year.

Extraordinarily shot by Ben Richardson, this film has a style and texture that is almost tactile.

Made for a couple a million bucks, it has already recouped beaucoup to the tune of 9 million and deserves to stuff its coffers further on its Australian release. Once seen, not forgotten.

© Richard Cotter

14th September, 2012

Tags: Sydney Movie Reviews- THE BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, Quvenzhane Wallis, JUICY AND DELICIOUS, Lucy Alibar, Ben Zeitlin, Dan Romer, Sydney Arts Guide, Richard Cotter