Animal Kingdom (2010)

The Godmother

The captivating plot of Animal Kingdom follows the disintegration of an Australian crime family. Josh (James Frecheville) moves in with his grandma after his mother dies from a heroin overdose. He soon becomes trapped in a vicious spiral rooted in his family's business. The story is set in Melbourne and is inspired by the infamous Pettingill family. Cold-blooded murders, hypocrisy, drugs and more... This movie gives me everything I need to feed my sick curiosity. From the flawless cast, I'd like to specifically mention Jacki Weaver who is sublime and ferociously sweet as The Godmother. Weaver collected another Academy Award nomination for this role. James Frecheville, the introverted pawn of the story, is a true revelation. Proof is that he went on to act side by side with Robin Wright and Naomi Watts in Two Mothers. This is a sensational directorial debut for David Michôd. It usually takes a lot to surprise me but I didn't see the end coming. My heart literally jumped in my chest. I always appreciate a story like Animal Kingdom because it's what real life is about. The Codys are obviously not your typical family but the darkness, judgments and lies they deal with define the average family routine.

1 reason to watch: just watch it, mate!

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Your (Almost) Typical Messed-Up Family Gets All 4 Acting Nominations at the Academy Awards

Silver Linings Playbook is the Oscar-winning cake you get when you mix the following ingredients: Harvey Weinstein's production skills, David O. Russell's directing technique, and a terrific multi-generational cast (from Robert De Niro to the thrilling comeback of Chris Tucker). Today being the US-release of the DVD, I had to celebrate by reviewing this universally acclaimed movie. This story adapted from the novel The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick has already helped and will help so many misfits. Unlike most of the audience, I don't think the characters portrayed in this movie are nuts. I found a lot of myself in both Pat (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who have just been damaged by life. SLP is a simple story about families and the constant struggle it is to maintain relationships. O. Russell focuses on many kinds of relationships. From parenting to friendship, love, or sibling tension: whatever your problem is, you will find an answer in SLP. I adore the O. Russell technique that reveals his actors' talent. The movie was nominated in all 4 acting categories at the Academy Awards which hadn't happened in 31 years. Jacki Weaver does a mean Philadelphian accent. Robert De Niro in the role of a father with affection and addiction issues is captivating. Weirdly enough, Cooper and Lawrence is an on-screen couple that works. I actually forgot that she is too young for the role because she delivers such an intense performance. She is the only one who came back home with a well-deserved Oscar. I was delighted by Cooper's radical mood swings or Lawrence's defying monologue to De Niro's face. It's a pleasure to see Tucker as Pat's friend from the institution and Julia Stiles as Tiffany's control freak of a sister (and now we can all agree that Stiles is a much better dancer than Lawrence). SLP will speak to the common folk because you can relate to the characters. It is about family issues, coping with loss, football, addiction, dancing like 'dad at prom', and fitting in. Silver Linings Playbook is about life.

1 reason to watch: If you find yourself misunderstood by your relatives, this will give you hope and give them insight.