It’s not very often that I’m moved to see a film by one single line in the film’s trailer. I mean, everyone likes a good line, but this line is delivered so brilliantly that my wife and I dragged ourselves to Sunshine on a weeknight to check out the movie. And the filmmakers obviously know how brilliant it is, because they actually repeated the clip a second time in the trailer, just tacked on to the very end, to make sure you take that line with you. Well, it worked, and I’m happy to report that the rest of the film is (unbelievably) up the level of that great line in the preview. We both loved it!

It is very unusual these days to see such quiet, unpretentious earthiness in a movie of this type. In this way it is the exact opposite of the Coen Brothers or that hack Tarantino, but at the same time distinct from manipulative “modern indie” stuff like Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. Instead, Animal Kingdom is like watching a bunch of real people, only they’re really bizarre, bad people who are bonded together in this strange dysfunctional little family unit – fascinating! The small amount of violence in the film is done exquisitely; they capture the shear shock of it really well, and I think a big reason why is that they somehow manage to not glamorize it at all. Again, this is the opposite of Taratino or the Coens, who view violence as a stupid, ham-fisted joke.

The film has a wonderful, tense, low-key story that evolves slowly but is quite mesmerizing. The dialog is minimalistic, but really well-written and effective. The characters of all the different brothers are beautifully drawn. Each one is a distinct type of sociopath, but at no time do any of their characters descend into caricature. This is most evident in the case of the crazy brother (Ben Mendelsohn) who is absolutely frightening but so real and understated you literally keep forgetting how completely crazy he is! When was the last time you saw a character like that in a crime film?

Obviously the actress playing the mother (Jacki Weaver) is wonderful, and she has other fabulous lines besides the one in the preview. But James Frencheville is also really good as the kid. Usually I quickly grow bored of this kind of  “comatose kid” role, but not so in his case. He also does an outstanding job delivering the narration in the beginning, narration that is quite well-written. Finally, Guy Pierce is really strong as the detective investigating the family.

I should also add that I really enjoyed the score, which is this dark, brooding, retro synthesizer music. It somehow perfectly fit the atmosphere of the movie.

Animal Kingdom is very well-named. There is a subtle animalism present throughout the entire film, present in everything from the most overt act of violence to the most mundane interaction between characters. It is very fascinating to watch. And I absolutely love the title frame of the film, which features this tacky 3-D painting with these three lions in various positions in a jungle setting. Just brilliant stuff!

I highly recommend this film!