"Animal Kingdom"

Heavy but fascinating, full of suspense and violence. It must be a really good film, because I liked it even though I had a hard time understanding the Australian accents! Nevertheless, this crime family (like a Melbourne Mafia- with a God-Awful grand-Mother who manages the menagerie of thieves and murders, her "boys"), said to be based on a true story(?), good grief! was so well crafted. The main character is 17 year old Joshua "J" Cody played by James Frecheville who is absolutely marvelous ( I would like to see him do more films, hopefully in America) as are the portrayals by everyone in the film, including his mostly violent and vicious uncles. (Though one of them seems a bit retarded and soft.) Upon the death of his mother (from an accidental overdose) J goes to live with his grandmother and uncles, from whom his mother had wisely kept him separated -- to protect him from their grimy lives. Alas, he has nowhere else to go, and so through observation and some tutelage, he silently, calmly (hardly reacts or speaks) learns the tricks of the trade. Guy Pearce, always a great actor, plays the Police Investigator, "Leckie" who tries to help "J" even though "J" won't rat out his nefarious uncle (the worst of the lot). Anyway, it's a good plot, excellent acting and should be worth FOUR STARS (if only I could have heard all the dialogue! I can't blame the Australians for my accent challenged hearing.) There's even a love interest, and issues of betrayal and loyalty are addressed. Writer/Director David Michod did a great job with this excellent film.