I just watched this on Netfix last night and was extraordinarily moved. In this age where technology seems to trump storyline, it was wonderful to see a film that has so much heart and guts. Special effects were blessedly nowhere in sight.
All the performances were terrific, but Brie Larsen, as the main character, Grace, was unbelievably great. I am not a Meryl Streep fan because I can always tell she is acting. She has an acting bag of tricks and pulls them out as necessary--one from column A; three from column C; etc. I find her remarkably inauthentic and wonder why she is so admired. Not so with Brie. She is so natural it hurts. Rotten Tomatoes agrees with me about Brie: "It cannot be said enough, but Larson is one of the most gifted talents to emerge in the last decade. This is a brilliant, subtle performance that deserves far more praise than it has received. Her character's name isn't just a name, it's a descriptor of her abilities. Were it not for her gorgeous work, Short Term 12 would suffer."
Don't miss this one, but be prepared to spend much of your time choked up.
