Animal Kingdom
Reviewed by
Janelle Tipton
August 10, 2010
When the orphaned J (James Frecheville) is collected by his grandmother Smurf Cody (Jacki Weaver) into the criminal pride his heroin-addict mom tried to keep him from, he is—in typical teenage fashion—initially aloof, even in denial, about his circumstances. His uncles, in their own desperate struggle to survive against rogue cops, force J's coming-of-age under the watchful eye of the matriarch, who turns out to be every bit the towering tree these apples fell from. Into the mix comes Detective Nathan Lecki (Guy Pearce), attempting to provide guidance and protection for the young cub. Working in almost perpetual silence, newcomer Frecheville is beautifully understated. It's a compelling performance, as he moves J from perplexed observation to steely resolve, always with complete believability. His uncles are the various striations of a damaged upbringing. Smurf's eldest, Andrew, aka Pope, is a mentally unstable predator unsuccessfully masquerading as a father figure. Unnerving and pitch-perfect, Ben Mendelsohn plays Pope as an overgrown sadistic child, with disconcerting stares and mysterious motives. Sullivan Stapleton as middle son Craig is a negligible presence, the character's amphetamine-fueled energy evolving merely from frenetic to frantic. Darren, the baby of the family and just a few years older than J, detests his relatives but utterly lacks the courage to stand up to them. Luke Ford excels in the role, oozing repressed anger and maddening impotence. Joel Edgerton as Pope's increasingly reticent business partner, Dan Wyllie as the Cody family lawyer, and especially the down-to-earth Pearce provide solid support, though their characters aren't, and don't need to be, much developed. Laura Wheelwright, in the role of J's girlfriend Nicky, has an easy rapport with Frecheville. While J eventually comprehends the danger surrounding them, Wheelwright's lamb among wolves remains—mercifully, heartbreakingly—in her mildly rebellious young-adult bubble. The tour de force performance here belongs to Weaver. In the actor's deft hands, Smurf sheds her skins, the supportive grandmother belying a disturbingly affectionate mother and pure vicious beast. Thanks to Weaver and Michôd, Smurf, keeping her "positive spin" in the face of her unspeakable depravity, earns a top spot on the list of great screen villains. Darkly reflective musical interludes (Antony Partos) paired with slow motion help pace the film, which is otherwise filmed, edited (Luke Doolan), and acted naturalistically, adding to the gravity and growing horror of its themes. Watching J navigate this kill-or-be-killed world, we can't help but be reminded that the animals are always among us. Genre: Drama/Crime/Thriller. Written and directed by: David Michôd. Starring: James Frecheville, Jacki Weaver, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce, Luke Ford, Sullivan Stapleton. |
|
More Movie / TV Reviews
ADVERTISEMENT
Sponsors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Events Calendar
Industry Grosses
| Rank | Title | Gross |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | WICKED | $1,534,111 |
| 2. | THE LION KING | $1,445,999 |
| 3. | SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK | $1,433,241 |
| 4. | THE BOOK OF MORMON | $1,425,488 |
| 5. | HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING | $1,319,824 |
| 6. | WAR HORSE | $960,191 |
| 7. | JERSEY BOYS | $915,982 |
| 8. | PORGY AND BESS | $878,884 |
| 9. | FOLLIES | $878,880 |
| 10. | THE MOUNTAINTOP | $693,128 |
Week ending Feb 06, 2012.
Credit: The Broadway League
| Rank | Title | Gross |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | CHRONICLE | $22,004,098 |
| 2. | WOMAN IN BLACK, THE | $20,874,072 |
| 3. | GREY, THE | $9,300,999 |
| 4. | BIG MIRACLE | $7,760,205 |
| 5. | UNDERWORLD AWAKENING | $5,500,744 |
| 6. | ONE FOR THE MONEY | $5,206,279 |
| 7. | RED TAILS | $4,735,595 |
| 8. | DESCENDANTS, THE | $4,552,943 |
| 9. | MAN ON A LEDGE | $4,351,036 |
| 10. | EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE | $3,802,367 |
Week ending Feb 06, 2012.
