States of Grace

It's rare that a film moves you to tears and in the next moment makes you belly laugh, all within a context of a very real, grounded story.

This film has some of the strongest writing, acting, and directing I've seen in American cinema since American Beauty was released. Subtle, incredibly deep, and full of unsentimental heart and compassion. It's about people who have been damaged by the people who are supposed to protect them the most: their parents. And it's not just about that. It's about how the human spirit can, with care and respect, somehow sustain after such darkness. It's about real love.

This film is why I go to the movies. This film is why I've made my livelihood movies. Bravo Mr. Cretton and everyone involved with the film. I wish you nothing but the best.

Short Term 12 is a powerful and moving drama that leaves you with warm feelings on conclusion. It depicts the personal struggles of a group of teenagers in supported care and their carers.

Dramas of this sort can sometimes leave you feeling gloomy and have a depressing feel. It certainly has dark moments of personal struggle, dealing in mental health, domestic abuse, self harm and suicide but the standard of acting and ending of the movie most definitely leave you feeling positive.

What stands out most about this film however is the cast. There are several strong performances even from the supporting cast with minor screen time. Brie Larson in the lead role excels. A breakout performance in a slow moving drama. One particular scene that comes to mind is the scene with Frantz Turner playing Jack. The outburst is a culmination of her protecting Jayden (played very well by Kaitlyn Dever) who she has begun to understand and create a close bond with, along with her own personal life frustrations. It is Jayden and not her boyfriend, despite his attempts, who allow Grace to open up and deal with her own personal struggles and her past. John Gallagher Jnr, who I had not seen much of prior to this movie also puts in an understated performance as the caring and supporting boyfriend and provides a few moments of comedic relief throughout the drama. I should also mention his scene at his foster family birthday celebration. The scene is only short but the emotion he displays in saying thank you to his foster parents was powerful. This is also one of the early roles for Rami Malek, who has now gone on like Brie to much more significant roles. He doesn't have much screen time in this and no particular scenes of note. Other than Brie however I believe Lakeith Stanfield as Marcus puts in the best performance. His backstory doesn't get as much time as Jayden and it is less central to the plot of the film which is mainly the Grace/Jayden/Mason arc, but all of his scenes are very strong and he is very believable.

Incredibly natural in its approach, wonderfully balanced from start to finish & further solidified by a convincing ensemble performances, Short Term 12 tells the story of Grace, a very caring & capable supervisor at a foster-care facility for at-risk teenagers. There are three story lines that emerge from this film; one is about Marcus, a quiet kid who's about to turn eighteen but doesn't want to leave the facility, the second plot line is about Jayden, a troubled teenage girl who's the latest member of the club. And the final & main plot line is about Grace herself, whose past returns to haunt her after meeting Jayden with whom she shares a connection plus the unexpected surprise she discovers that can have a major impact on her future, thus leaving her utterly confused with everything about her life.

The entire cast has given a brilliant performance, but it's Brie Larson who impresses the most as Grace and the film manages to portray her toughness & fragility evocatively. The locations are very lifelike, the entire film has a very calm & relaxed atmosphere for which the shooting location is responsible for, editing is finely done & it is smartly written & directed. On an overall scale, Short Term 12 is one of those dramas that are heartwarming & heartbreaking at the same time that will have you go through every emotion you're capable of and dares to deal with issues most people or families aren't very comfortable viewing or discussing about.

It's not just the residents in this home that are damaged. To some degree, the staff comes here with their own life experiences that are just as damaging as those they care for. Maybe being damaged is what attracts people to the work - I certainly saw it often in psychology and counseling classes.

Grace (Brie Larson), the supervisor, is certainly dealing with a damaged past. It is probably what makes her good at her job, but it does cause her problems. It's balancing the two that makes one successful.

Cutting, anger, withdrawal, are all things you will see in these children/young adults. They are manifestations of their unnatural upbringing. Marcus (Keith Stanfield) is terrified at the prospect of going out on his own. Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever) guards her secret past, while Grace tries to pry it open.

Every day is a challenge, and the worst part is not ever knowing if you were successful.

One of the few movies in my life I cried at. Due to some of my background I was moved by the subject matter. It is one of the most natural movies I have ever seen. The entire cast seemed like real people and not one of them seemed like an actor. Great movies plunge the viewer into real lives as if they suddenly discovered someone else's life in front of them. The writer/director also had balance in the story, The most emotional scenes had tremendous impact because the timing when they occurred was not suspected. The scenes were gut-wrenching and drove me to emotional experiences as if I was a person in the film. Thus, the tears. This may be a hard film for viewers to be involved with, but it is worth every minute of it. The private lives of the leaders were weaved into the film and gave great understanding to the people who ran the agency. The child acting was without a flaw, and I felt as if I knew them in real life. I urge you to see it, but prepare yourself for an emotional ride with people in dire circumstances. A simply great film!!