Movie - Beasts of the Southern Wild

What would you do if your home and everything you knew was about to be swept away?This is the touching story of young girl with more challenges than a 5-year-old should have. Firstly, the aforementioned expected tragedy as temperatures soar, a little off-shoot of Louisiana, The Washbasin, is about to be swallowed up as ice melts and water rushes to drown life as they know it.The authorities give the final warning to leave and trucks and cars laden with as many family members and their essential belongings as possible line-up to drive away to a forced new life except a few, including Wink, the 5 year-olds stern but caring father. Hushpuppy, as she is called, lives in her own house, where she spends most of her time fantasising about what her mother may look like and Wink lives in his own quarters, both houses built on stilts filled with what looks like junk, memories of another time. Along with a few other vagrant drunks, they stay behind and brace themselves for the storm they’ve been warned about and the consequences that follow.During this period, there is a time when Wink disappears and Hushpuppy tries to fend for herself, going to school and declining offers of help or food, knowing in her heart her father will return to take care of her. When he does, he’s in a hospital gown and has name bracelet, giving us the first inkling something is not quite right and what follows is the effort he makes to ensure Hushpuppy can fend for herself for when he is no longer around.The storm comes and this thought-provoking film comes into its own as Hushpuppy escapes with a few of her young friends to go in search of her mother, knowing know her father is dreadfully ill. They find someone who could be her mother but nothing is certain and they return to her frail father and other surviving residents. Another poignant scene is when at this point, her father watches from his sick-bed as Hushpuppy confronts the Aurochs, the beasts of her imagination (although some reviews say they are real and unleashed by the ice melting) and then returns to tend to the frail Wink.With amazing acting by non-actors who play the main parts, this is one of the films of the year; just a beautiful, sometimes sad, occasionally funny,  always thought-provoking and touching film. A must see.8½/10Smile factor 9/10