Short Term 12 (2013)

User Review

• 

  buffed_film_buff

  10 / 10

  
  This film is so important. It's about Youth, it's about abuse and trauma, it's about family and relationships and caretaking and love and friendship. It's such an incredibly powerful and moving film that I was brought to tears- many, many times. Short Term 12 stars Brie Larson as a caretaker at a "short term" home for children who have a bad living situation at home or are troubled by pasts of abuse or mental trauma. She and the rest of the crew help kids from all different backgrounds adjust into a safer living situation. Meanwhile, she is suffering from her own kind of personal issues that continue to haunt her in the present. The acting is outstanding on all fronts. The young actors show an incredible range of highs and lows and depicting a realistic demeanor for someone of such heartache. In particular, the actors played by Jayden and Marcus were spectacular. That's not to say Brie Larson and Rami Malick didn't step it up to a whole new level of brilliance. John Gallagher Jr. has something so comforting and welcoming about him, like a giant teddy bear that made me understand how perfect he was for the role of fellow caretaker and boyfriend to Grace. The music was beautiful and flowed seamlessly into whichever scene it was present, and the cinematography had a beautiful earthy glow that really seemed to tie it all together. But most importantly, the screenplay. That script made this movie the masterpiece it is, the realistic conversations it depicts are consistently believable and extremely heartfelt. Every single character in this film has their own story, their own importance, and really it just emphasizes the compassion that some people have in them to work in a group home. I am crying as I'm writing this review because I'm stunned at how beautiful this movie is. To phrase it rather bluntly, you really don't know what kind of shit is going down in some people's lives. Brutal but always completely honest, this movie transcends the drama genre to a whole new level. I genuinely believe far more people need to see this film. Amazing.

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