As someone born and raised in that area (my family has been here over 200 years now) it is insanely realistic. The clothing, the culture, and the desperation that comes from generations of extreme poverty and hopelessness.

Winter's Bone Among plenty of character driven features that are produced, only few of them gets it right and this is definitely one of them. As mentioned, there is a lot of craft to explore in here that too in each aspect, as usually as an indie feature does and the primary reason to that is the free spirit that it brings along with it that needs no boundaries and isn't afraid on telling its own story. The writing is strong, witty with gripping screenplay that leaves the audience on the edge of the seat throughout the course of the feature with a hint of mystery in the air. Debra Granik; the screen-writer and director, has done a tremendous work on pulling off such a feature through her brilliant execution skills where each frame is given equal importance and speaks volume in here. On performance level, it all comes down to Jennifer Lawrence; the protagonist, who carries it off all on her shoulder with her head held high. It is short on technical aspects like sound department and art design but is fulfilling in its perfect editing. Winter's Bone is a concrete supporter to the cinema, actors, makers and the audience as it conveys crucial message in crystal clear language that cannot go unheard.

This movie starts making you question things from the very beginning... As Ree, Jennifer Lawrence gives a great, genuine and very gutsy performance as a young girl that's been cornered by events not her doing. It's very easy to identify with Ree, as none of the bad things that happen to her and her family are their fault, but are all caused by her dead father. Dear old dad was apparently a big-time meth cook and has disappeared, presumed dead - but Ree has no way to prove it but desperately needs to, or else the family house will be foreclosed on and her family (a demented and psychologically unstable mom and two young siblings) will all be thrown out on the street. This movie is all about Ree's fight to find the answers she desperately needs (proof that Dad's actually dead), and how it brings her into conflict with the local Redneck meth underworld. Filmed in Branson, Missouri, the backdrop very much brings home the abject grinding poverty and desperation of the area, and the movie oozes authenticity in every scene. Moreover, what gives this movie real guts is the undercurrent that Ree is fighting not for herself but for her under-privileged family too. Ree generates real sympathy as she faces everything head-on, on her own, and never backs down an inch. This might be Jennifer Lawrence's best performance in any movie so far.

If you're wondering what the first movie I gave this title to is, it's "Blue Velvet". I'm not a huge fan of Jennifer Lawrence. Every movie I've seen her in, I've hated. "American Hustle", "Silver Linings Playbook", and now this. While hate might be too strong of a word, because bored to death fits better. Plot summary: a cardboard cutout of Jennifer Lawrence tries to find out what happened to her dad (the redneck version of Walter White) while a bunch of white trash hillbillies get in her way. Lawrence has no personality, I don't see her as a strong female protagonist at all, she's no Ellen Ripley or Sarah Connor. All the other characters are either total jerks, or don't help her, I hope that sounds interesting to you, because it doesn't change for 100 minutes. This'll more than likely be the last movie with Jennifer Lawrence in it I see. I have what's called a "Three Strike Rule", if I see three movies that I don't like from a director or actor as the main character, I essentially blacklist them and avoid all films involved with them like The Plague. The first director to strike out with me was David O. Russel, the second was JJ Abrams (not for three bad movies though, because "The Force Awakens" was one of the most insulting things I've ever seen). So I guess Jennifer Lawrence is the first actor/actress to get blacklisted by me. If you like this movie, or Jennifer Lawrence as an actress, that's fine, but she's not for me.