Day #18 Animal Kingdom

Sorry about falling so far behind on here.  I was actually entering my last post at work during my lunch hour the other day.  I promise I have been keeping up with my 1 film a day, but finding the time to blog about them is becoming the challenge.  I want to completely express myself and my thoughts, feeling, and any trivia I have about the movies I watch and I don't feel like I have been able to do that so far.  Oh well, I am sure I will get better at it.  I am also going to try to compress the blogs some.  I still want to mix my reviews with what is happening with me personally.  I find that interaction fascinating.

Another thing I find fascinating is the Australian New Wave.  This is a group of film makers down below reinventing the art form and telling their stories in a very personal yet professional way.  The first film I saw of this new cinematic expression is The Square.  It is a 2008 film directed by Nash Edgerton.  The Edgerton boys are fore runners in the movement.  I won't talk about The Square now, because it is out on DVD now and I will purchase it soon.  Then I will re-watch it and blog about it at that time.

The movie that I watched the other night is called Animal Kingdom.  It is the story of a dysfunctional family (to say the least) that is involved in criminal activities.  The movies opens with a great shot of a young man,  Jay, on the couch watching a game show with his mother who seems as if she has faded to sleep.  I won't spoil anything but let's just say that isn't the case.  Anyway Jay later moves in with his grandmother, Janine (played to perfection by Jacki Weaver in what is in my top performances of the year so far).  Grandma appears to be a sweet older lady that has surrounded herself with her male children and grandchildren.  Even though when she demands a kiss from them it seems to last a little too long.  We later find out that grandma may not be so innocent.  Actually, she is never really played as innocent but we find out late in the film exactly how strong her arm is in the criminal underworld.

The rest of Jay relatives in the house consist of a drugged out paranoid uncle, "the professional" uncle of the group, an uncle that seems to just be along for the ride, and an uncle that has totally lost his mind.  The character name is "Pope" and he is played wonderfully by Ben Mendelson.

The script is tight, the performance are on the money, the camera work is fresh while still evoking the masters (Scorsese's influence can be seen all over this film)  A lot of people have been comparing this to Goodfellas.  I would say that the imprint is there but Animal Kingdom isn't as grandiose as Goodfellas.  And I mean that in a good way.  I don't think they were shooting for that and the style of the film really serves is story.  What else can you ask for from a "gangster picture".  I give this 3.5/5 stars.  For more information check out the link below for the trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5BsYRmMfus