Short Term 12 Movie Review

Moving, authentic, and touching. Brie Larson leads an incredibly talented ensemble in this revealing and truthful motion picture.

Set in a foster-care facility, Short Term 12 analyzes the lives of today's struggling youth and the group of dedicated individuals determined to support them. The film follows 20-somethings Grace and Mason, both staff members at a foster-care facility for at-risk teens and long-time couple, as they try to balance their personal lives and the lives of the kids in their care. The film stars Brie Larson (21 Jump Street, United States of Tara) and John Gallagher Jr. (The Newsroom) as the two dedicated counselors at the facility. The supporting cast is mostly made up of novice actors, which is definitely not shown thorough their performances. 

Every once in a while, a movie comes out that moves you. In a cinematic generation mostly made up of cheap, hollow remakes and CGI-filled superhero flicks, these types of movies are a rarity. We don't necessarily see many films nowadays that are just about people dealing with the difficulties of life, not unless those difficulties include explosions or kidnappings. Out of those types of movies we do see, this one is far superior. Brie Larson delivered one of the best performances of the year, and the best of her career. The fact that she got snubbed for an Oscar just further demonstrates the absurdity and diminishing relevance of The Oscars. She deserved to be recognized, as did the movie itself. I've never heard of director Destin Cretton before, but he is now definitely on my radar. I have never been a huge fan of shaky-cam, but Cretton utilizes it extremely well and creates an incredible depth and realism that is absent in most of contemporary cinema. 

Not only her performance astounded me, but the whole cast was exceptional. From John Gallagher Jr., to all the kids in the facility, everyone did a phenomenal job. The direction was great, the acting was astounding and hauntingly realistic. All of these aspects of film are extremely important, but even with the best acting and directing in the world, a film still has the potential of failing if the writing is bad. Luckily, Short Term 12 is not poorly written. In fact, it may have one of the most developed and engaging screenplays of the year. All of the characters are amazingly realistic, and Destin Cretton did a great job at portraying these tragic characters in an honest, not ham-fisted way. Overall, every aspect of this film was excellent; the actors, the writing, the directing, the camera movement, even the film's final shot was brilliant. In an era of films in which style is valued over substance, it's refreshing to witness a movie this honest and real. Hollywood, take note- this is how I movie should be made. Final Rating: A