A Tale of Three Movies...

A rare occurence, saw three excellent yet vastly different flicks within the last five days.
One an independent or indie flick that came out sometime last year and was nominated for a best actress oscar, one a foreign horror flick that is Swedish, and one a recent studio children's film, directed by an off-beat director. What all three films have in common is they take place in depth of Winter, the colors are stripped or faded, snow covers the ground, and many of the characters are working poor or working class. Each focuses to an extent on a boy and a mother, the father is either entirely absent, or barely in the picture, and the mother is overwhelmed with taking on both roles and not quite handling either well. While the boy is disconnected from his peers in some way. He struggles for friendships, for connection, much as his mother or the adults around him do, but the connection is hollow, rife with misunderstandings, and disappointment. Each in their own way deal with the feeling of being isolated, cut off from society, yet they are in the midst of it. All end happily, with a human or not so human connection. Also, all to a degree comment on the political and socioeconomic situation the characters find themselves in, but in different ways.

( Frozen River - mild and vague spoilers )

( Where the Wild Things Are - mild and vague spoilers )

( Let the Right One In - mild and vague spoilers )