One of the things I struggle with in regards to writing on the web is this notion that there are only two types of film writing: You either love something or you hate something. (Put another way, you're either with the majority or you're against it in the most incendiary way possible.) So the headline of this post is far more combative than I mean it to be. The truth of the matter is, I like Beasts of the Southern Wild. I've seen it twice now, and there is much that's good about the film. I just don't think it's a masterpiece. For Deadspin, I tried to isolate the five things about Beasts that bug me -- and also how those five things are indicative of larger problems/cliches in American independent cinema. I'm sure people will not read the piece and simply assume that I'm a "hater" or a willful contrarian. Sorry, neither is accurate. I saw Beasts at its very first screening in Sundance in January, and I've had mixed but admiring views of the movie ever since. Here's the article.
Update: More thoughts on the film and my article here.
