Animal Kingdom

David Michôd’s directorial debut, Animal Kingdom follows James Frecheville’s Joshua Cody as he arrives at his grandmother’s (Jacki Weaver’s Janine) house after his mother dies of a drug overdose – with the film subsequently detailing Joshua’s ongoing encounters and dealings with his felonious family members. There’s little doubt that Animal Kingdom has been infused with a slow-moving sensibility that takes some getting used to, with the deliberateness of the pace immediately exacerbated by the lack of compelling characters. Frecheville’s bland work as the movie’s protagonist is emblematic of Michôd’s refusal to offer up figures worth rooting for or caring about, with the few exceptions to this, including (and especially) Guy Pearce’s expectedly stirring turn as a sympathetic cop, relegated to the background for far too much of the film’s running time. The bare hint of momentum that begins to emerge is briskly quashed by an impressively unexpected bit of violence at around the 20-minute mark, and it’s clear that Michôd’s subsequent efforts at drawing the viewer back into the proceedings generally fall flat. (Having said that, Animal Kingdom does boast its share of standout sequences – including a captivating scene in which Pearce’s character delivers a riveting speech that seems to have inspired the film’s title.) It’s impossible to deny that Animal Kingdom finally comes off as the sort of movie that one admires more than one enjoys, with the striking visuals and top-notch performances just barely compensating for the film’s otherwise less-than-enthralling atmosphere.

**1/2 out of ****