I loved it. Mesmerized is a good word. I kept thinking: how in hell did they create this world they’re filming. The debris on the ground, the structures, the dead animals. Incredible film_making_. Did the story have some holes? Sure. The aurochs? Meh. But the vibrance, the teeming decay, the vitality of the acting, that incredible little girl… I feel privileged to have seen it.
If you have the opportunity, watch the making of feature on the DVD. It really enhanced the experience of watching the movie for me, and it shows you how good an actress the girl playing Hush Puppy is.
The aurochs were tiny Vietnamese pigs in costumes. So cute!
Was very disappointed when I saw it. Yes, I ‘get’ the concept of magic realism but it just didn’t work for me the way a film like Pan’s Labyrinth did. The story never allowed me to suspend belief and with the exception of Hushpuppy, I thought the characters were extremely one-dimensional. And I don’t especially care for movies that hammer you over the head with their message.
Here’s a National Geographic article on the piggies and their costumes.
Thank you! This is a great article.