Kenny Powers
Footballguy
He was great, but since he was billed as one of the leads, I didnt see that coming and wish he had a bigger role.I know The Square was on instant watch, have been meaning to check that one out. I saw another Aussie film a few months ago with Edgerton called Acolytes. A few teenagers find a dead body and track down Edgerton. Not sure if I'd recommend it really, but it was different and interesting, had a real good ending, and Edgerton was once again very good.Edgerton was great in the few scenes he was in. I was expecting him to be the character that drove the action. Mendelsohn was interesting and a little mysterious. Of the recent Aussie films, I liked "The Square" the most.I liked Animal Kingdom, and I know expectations were part of it, but I was disappointed with it. It was getting great reviews, including here IIRC for the most part, but overall I didnt think it was much better than average. The lead teen was a little weak, but overall I did like the acting. Having watched this only a couple days after seeing Warrior, I wish Edgerton had a bigger role but he was once again good. I thought Ben Mendelsohn was great and really stole the scenes. Never heard of him before seeing this, but was also impressed by him in Trespass and he was a big reason why I liked Killing Them Softly as much as I did. Animal Kingdom had a lot of potential but I agree with both of you as to why it didnt reach it.caught this last night. some good acting and decent plotting but not a lot of dramatic tension. it suffered from the central character being written as a cipher and followed through with a leaden performance. there were two fine performances paired with interesting characters - joel edgerton and ben mendlesohn - but rest were pretty meh. it could have been much, much better.oh, while i am at it, can we just give the impressionable-youth-mentored-and-corrupted-and-loyalties-challenged-before-finding-his-moral-bearings plot a rest?Animal Kingdom - Excellent conception, muddy execution. Even though there was a lot more plotting in this than the film I reviled here a coupla wks ago (Blue Valentine), I had much the same problem with it. The director chose to portray the messiness of crim life by making the dramatics equally messy. I know i'm an old fart for requiring highly-conceived structure & dialogue when so many appear to have embraced naturalism and organic performance in place of classic forms, but i cant let go of the feeling that "behavior" is the job of actors & "perspective" is the job of writers & directors and that no movie is complete without both. I fear it all is starting to pass me by, but it still stinks of laziness to me.
That could be why i spent most of the 2nd half thinking what a wonderful premise for a play this would be. SPOILER - A teen orphaned into having to board at the home/headquarters of a crime family, with the story of the demise of the enterprise told by the comings & goings of cops & robbers from the house. When the innocent witnesses too much of the guilty, the family is forced to wonder if the "thickness" of blood is diluted by generation. Arthur Miller meets The Godfather. Not a doubt in my mind that Mama Smurf (matriarch of the family, slipperily played by Oscar-nominated Jacki Weaver) could be as great a character as Willie Loman or Blanche DuBois in the hands of the right playwright.
Anyway, much good movie-making up in here, if not particularly my kind. 3.2/5