jacobfrasier Probably my favorite story about heartbreak, overcoming obstacles, and the patience to understand life's ups and downs. And Brie was amazing.

Josh Larson This was a super simple story that was told perfectly. Brie Larson was outstanding. There's nothing special about this movie. It feels very low budget and basic, but in the best possible way. It's true and real and touching and heartfelt. I was very surprised I enjoyed this movie as much as I did.

Prismark10 Short Term 12 is a story about neglected youths who live in a foster home for teenagers.Brie Larson plays Grace. She is dedicated to helping these teenage kids but her relationship with her boyfriend and co-worker Mason (John Gallagher Jr) lacks the care she shows to the kids and he knows it especially when Grace discovers she is pregnant.The arrival of a new girl to the facility Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever) a troubled girl unravels Grace's own issues and upbringing, her father is in jail and it seems both have overlapping experiences.This is a small independent film and shows early promise from future Oscar winning actress Brie Larson. It also features Rami Malek as a new counsellor.Director Destin Cretton worked in such a care home and initially developed his experiences in a short movie which this is based on. Cretton largely keeps the movie natural, small scale and avoids histrionics.

oisintomas The film is set in a short term foster-care facility for at-risk teens and follows trials and tribulations of the teens living their and staff members Grace (Larson) and Mason (Gallagher Jr.) who take care of them. When a new child arrives at the facility, it forces Grace to confront her troubled past whilst continuing her struggle in preparing soon-to-be 18 Marcus (Keith Stanfield) for life outside of the care facility. The film is inspired by Cretton's experience of working in a foster-care facility for young people and this helps the film tell an emotionally honest and heart-wrenching story, avoiding most of the tropes and clichés common in these type of films. It was met with critical acclaim when was first released and won the Grand Jury Narrative Feature Award and the Narrative Audience Award at South by Southwest Film festival. Short Term 12 features masterful storytelling, its tightly scripted with natural everyday dialogue that comes across as real and improvised and is cemented by true to life , seemingly effortless and naturalistic form of acting with performances so-convincing it almost makes you feel like your watching a documentary. There are no one dimensional characters in the film and each feel authentic. In particular Brie Larson gives a impressive and awe-inspiring performance as grace a caring and loving young women with heavy baggage from her past locked up tight and bursting at the seams due to her inability to trust and open up to people. She was nominated for numerous accolades for her performance in the film and won Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Actress. The two scenes that bookend the film were particularly interesting. The film opens with Mason telling Nate (a new worker in the facility) and Jessica an embarrassing and comedic story of his first week working at the facility. This excellently establishes the friendships between the characters with natural interaction between them which is a pleasure to watch. Before mason finishes telling the story, a child in his underpants with American flag wrapped around him like a Cape, busts out and makes a run for the exit. The ending scene also contains mason telling a funny story and again the story is interrupted by Sammy running for the exit. This excellently reinforces the naturalistic style of the film as it shows the audience that the narrative includes the everyday struggles of the characters and that there are no easy solutions. Additionally the scenes are similar but the differences effectively showcase how things have subtly changed. It particular they show how our relationship to the characters have evolved. at the start of the movie, we were in the shoes of Nate (not knowing what to expect) . At the end, we are more familiar with the characters and have a better understanding of what happens at the facility. The film is shot predominantly using hand-held cameras and consists mostly of medium and close-ups shots.The shots are tightly framed and this help make the viewer feel as close to the emotions on screen as possible. The camera is a patient, unobtrusive presence among the characters and the almost observational style also strengthens the audience's emotional connection to the characters in the film. Though some may criticize the rather convenient and perfect intertwining of individual narratives and struggles throughout the film as well as its irrepressible sense of optimism, I feel the film sticks to his naturalistic style effectively, never becoming melodramatic or unbelievable. The various revelations that occur throughout the film come to us organically in characters' conversation and it has beautifully crafted lighting which gives a warm glow to the film and a beautiful sense of optimism. In the hands of a less talented director, the film could have felt overly-sentimental and syrupy but instead feels brutally honest with the right amount of grit and grace. In closing short term 12 is a marvel of a film. It is perfectly scripted piece of drama that features wonderful performances and a genuine and heartfelt story that will stick with you long after you watch the film.