Most of you probably haven't heard of Animal Kingdom. I'm not saying that in a snobby "I'm better than you" sort of way, but in a "I'm sadly obsessed with movies" kind of way. This little art house film from Australia has won many awards at small festivals, and boasts a 96% positive critical score on Rottentomatoes.com. On this Labor Day, I decided to drive to Boston with my brother and catch it at the only theater within 100 miles that was showing it. If it's not playing near you, I'm not surprised - but it should be.Animal Kingdom does not refer to jungles, but it does deal with ferocious creatures - humans. When 17 year-old "J" loses his mother to a drug overdose, he moves in with his grandmother and uncles - a suspicious lot of crooks, thieves, and drug dealers. When one character is murdered by the authorities, the family seeks vengeance, and "J" gets wrapped up in a world he truly wants no part of.
The movie is brilliantly acted but moves at a glacial pace for the first half before finally kicking into full gear. This movie uses violence minimally - yet effectively. There is blood, but unlike Machete, it's never over the top or gratuitous. The grandmother, played by Jacki Weaver, is incredible and she deserves awards for her performance. The rest of the cast, including Memento's Guy Pearce is top-notch.
I was very impressed with this movie - but it's not that rewatchable once you know how everything resolves itself. That being said, it's really worth seeing. So if you have patience, you won't regret the payoff. I would give Animal Kingdom a 7.5 out of 10.
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