Where is the Love, Academy?

Short Term 12 is one of those overlooked films that if you blink, it will be gone by the time you open your eyes. Being released in the last week of August doesn't help matters. Anyhow, this small indie is utterly fantastic and is the best film of 2013. The realism plays a huge factor and so does the excellent screenplay, acting, and directing. Maybe this film will open eyes to those who have little knowledge about abused children in who are sent to group homes. This film is about character and emotion, good and painful emotions.

This film is about life through the eyes of Grace, a twenty-something counselor at a group home who suffered from the same thing the children she takes care of does. She has a long-term relationship with a co-worker named Mason. But when one troubled girl named Jayden shows up, her life immediately begins to unravel.

The acting is fantastic, especially Brie Larson. She should have been nominated for Best Actress. She adds soul to her character and the film does a good job in showing her character's dark past piece by piece. The film does feature other fine performances, namely John Gallagher Jr. as Mason, but no one comes close to Brie's fierce performance.

Overall, Short Term 12 is an excellent film and a criminally underseen movie. This film is so realistic, one could almost view the movie as a documentary. But alas, this is the most powerful film of the year and that happens out of conversations and minimalistic action, which is a near impossible feat. Too bad this film was ignored by the Academy, because it deserved a boatload of nominations. I rate this film 10/10.

10/10