Grace, a compassionate young supervisor at a foster care facility, helps at-risk teens. But when a new charge dredges up memories of her own troubled past, Grace's tough exterior begins eroding.
Short Term 12 cares for its viewers by making them feel every emotion possible. There's nothing more special and valuable in life than raising a child. It's thought to be one of the most rewarding experiences available. To see parents ignore, disown and even abuse their own flesh and blood, well, it doesn't make for an easy watch. In fact it might just be the worst. But Short Term 12 painted these teenagers in what I can only describe as the most appropriate watercolours possible. Bright vivid characters blending their sorrow and optimism together to produce beautiful personalities. We follow a group of carers, in particular a troubled young adult named Grace, in their daily lives of facilitating a healthy and safe environment for youths that are in need of care.
This is one of those films that I've been avoiding for a few months now. Initially, I felt I had to mentally prepare myself. With many claiming they instantly bursted into tears, I was not ready for that. Having now watched these glistening characters for ninety minutes, only one word was on my mind after the credits rolled. Perfection. It is extremely rare, a near impossible achievement, to find a lucrative drama that exhumes every emotional stance available. Short Term 12 did. Not only that, but it made me substantially appreciate the work and effort that child carers put in every single day. An incredible and somewhat heroic job that Cretton intimately crafts through his delicate screenplay. He illustrates the very best of humanity within these characters, from the joyous opportunities that life has to offer to various days of darkened solitude.
It would be an understatement to claim that this is so far away from exhibiting Hollywood clichés, with absolutely no exposition and unnecessary quirky narrations. No. This is real life. Cretton gracefully opens a window, allowing us to peer into the struggles and opportunities these children and carers uphold. Frighteningly realistic. Every second builds upon the harshness of reality, gradually laying the foundations of each teenager's backstory. Abuse leads to self-harming. Ignorance leads to depression. Cretton does not avoid these scenarios, rather he tackles them head on. Further illustrating the importance of parenthood and how children rely on that unconditional love.
Grace, who experienced a troubled past herself, symbolises the ever-lasting hurt one can receive from atrocious parenting. It never dissipates. All she can do is attempt to move on, distract herself by assisting others who unfortunately succumbed to the same harrowing treatment. Heartbreaking.
Larson, in what was her first leading role, was incredible. One of the finest performances I have ever witnessed for such an emotionally complicated character. Whether it be an outburst of pure anger, tears of mental melancholy or smiles of genuine happiness. Larson transformed into her role without any physical alterations. This performance alone has changed my mind about her as an actress. Actually, every cast member was exceptional. Gallagher Jr. balances the smartly executed light comedic moments with a dosage of relationship woes, supporting Larson's performance magnificently. Even the teenagers, particularly a young Stanfield and Devers, captured the fragility and delicate nature of their troubled personalities. A tangible environment that hinges on an intricately sustainable aura that, if altered in some way, could turn the very best day into the absolute worst.
Cretton's direction reflects an indie touch to each camera movement, with two tear-inducing scenes highlighting his powerful talent. Stanfield's one take rap, lyrically illustrating his anguish and hurt in being disowned, not only made me shed a tear but it was confidently executed by ensuring the camera never looks away from his face, in particular his eyes. The second is Devers' story about an octopus giving up her arms for a "friendly" shark. This time Cretton switches the camera between the three angles. The illustrations in her story, Devers' innocent storytelling and Larson's shocked face. A perfect culmination in building emotional depth from just one scene. Masterful. Oh, and I cried. Full on waterworks.
I've had the night to reflect upon this dramatic endeavour, and the more I think about it, the harder it is to criticise. Therefore I came to the abrupt conclusion that for me, this film is faultless. It is an incredible work of art that immediately draws you in with its personable characters, human qualities and harrowing themes. So, without further ado, let's get the inevitable final sentence out of the way. I've been low-key excited to say this...! Short Term 12 obtains that elusive perfect rating.
