Film Review: Short Term 12 (2013)

Short Term 12 (2013) – Destin Cretton

Starring: Brie Larson, Frantz Turner & John Gallagher Jr.

IMDb Rating: 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 98%

My Rating: Thumbs UP

With little more than a few short films behind him, we may be witnessing the directorial breakthrough of Destin Cretton. With the script for ‘Short Term 12’ winning the Academy Nicholl Fellowship award way back in 2010, there are high hopes for his first major feature release. If you are fed up with billion dollar Hollywood blockbusters, look no further for an independent film that has been articulately crafted and beautifully executed.

Told through the eyes of Grace, a 20 – something supervisor at a foster-care facility for at-risk teenagers, ‘Short Term 12’ has been described as a ‘roller coaster of every emotion’, at some points forcing the viewer to peak an involuntary smile through their initial blubbing and upset. Supported by her long – term (secretly kept) love, Mason, it seems that Graces tough yet rewarding job is fairly secure, until the arrival of a new intake at the facility, along with a future containing rather unforeseen circumstances, shakes up proceedings.

Although the film is primarily dark and often upsetting, writer and director Destin Cretton manages to squeeze glimpses of hope and humour in some of the most unexpected places – you literally won’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Certain scenes show the connection and camaraderie of the foster kids so well, that for a second we are oblivious of their situation- until suddenly, we are plunged back into the rather discouraging reality of these guys, who are faced with rejection and disapproval on a regular basis.

Brie Larson’s character Grace manages to portray a fierce, strong and sturdy shell, coupled with a contrasting level of fragility that is worryingly delicate. Throughout the film we often feel she is too worried about the troubles of ‘her’ children, as opposed to her own issues – a thought that predicts an expected eruption of emotion at any point – evident when she lashes out at Mason. Larson puts her all into the character, digging deep to create an authentic reflection of a person whose unforgettable past cannot be expelled – however hard they may try.

The inclusion of new ‘recruit’ Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever) makes Grace feel as if she is looking in the mirror, with Jayden’s past reflecting that of her own sexually abusive father. Grace takes on a rather maternal figure over Jayden, even though she thinks she is unfit to be a mother. As we view the relationship between these characters grow, crumble, and grow again, the authenticity of Cretton’s direction is second to none.

The various handheld camera angles used throughout enhance the role the viewer plays, as we are thrown into the somewhat unfamiliar mix of this environment – hitting home the day to day struggle these foster kids experience. Similarly, Cretton replaces cinematic clichés with legitimate circumstances that, aided by such high calibre acting from the collective, enable this film to shine and rise above it’s opponents.

Charlie Elgar