Short Term 12

On a recent trip to Cinemapolis I decided to see Short Term 12. Before seeing it I had heard very little of this film until a friend gave me rave reviews. The film follows Brie Larson as Grace, a woman in her 20's working at a foster care facility for troubled children. The film itself felt very small, each scene rarely focusing on more than two characters at a time, yet had fantastic performances by the entire cast. The cinematography of Short Term 12 used a very interesting filter and lens giving the film the look as if it was shot with an Instagram filter, yet this does not take away from it. The handheld adds to the intimacy of the story being told. Larson's character shows a real connection and understanding of the children staying at Short Term 12. We too become attached to the children as we learn bits and pieces of their backstories and how they ended up at the home. There were many parts in the film where I was worried they would veer off into a more cliche storyline, but the film avoided those and kept the story focused on where it needed to be. Though the kids at Short Term 12 may have lost or are no longer with their families, they've found a new one in each other and all those who inhabit Short Term 12.