Ain't Them Bodies Saints

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This beautiful and intense drama generally slipped under the radar in 2013, but it is still a fantastic film. Ain’t Them Bodies Saints focuses on an outlaw from Texas who breaks out of jail and attempts to find his wife and their child, whom he has never met- this strong and emotional story is just part of what holds the overall piece together.

In addition to this the way in which it is told, through a dual narrative structure, continually keeps the audience’s interest. The story is also skilfully told through imaginative editing and great acting from all of the cast. The only problem with the film’s acting is that some of the actors, especially lead actress Rooney Mara, mumble quite a bit, which can make certain scenes are confusing- however, the plot and editing are still strong enough to generally override this problem.

Another element that stands out about this film is the stunning cinematography, which adds brilliantly to the film’s overall atmosphere and reflects perfectly on the beauty of the story being told, which is as well as being emotionally powerful is generally exciting, with lots of twists and turns.

Although the film sometimes can be predictable, the way in which certain scenes are built up to still cause enough emotional impact to be effective and the end is certainly still a surprise. Although it could be argued that the film’s final scenes occur too quickly, resulting in an all-too abrupt conclusion, the way in which it is edited still makes for a satisfying conclusion to a tragically underrated film.