I thought this was a really well made movie. The acting is always good enough, and even brilliant in some parts. The scenery is amazing. The characters are endearing, and make you really care about them.
I will say that there were parts which were not perfect. The beginning was a little weak, but good enough to provide just enough backstory, without going overboard.
I actually LIKE the shaky camera work. It really added to the emotional connection. There were scenes where the camera would jerk right as something horrible happened, and it mirrored the emotional jerk that I experienced. In fact, that makes it a bit metaphorical. Everything happening is so chaotic, frustrating and unstable, and the camera makes you feel that way inside which helps the viewer to connect to what the characters are feeling inside. I think it is absolutely genius.
The scenes of the natural tranquil beauty conveys the sense of isolation and contrasts nicely with the chaotic ugliness and violence which is happening unnoticed, as if nobody, even the natural environment cares. This, again, gives you a sense of compassion, and helps you to understand what the victims feel like.
The whole movie is full of poetic metaphor, and analogy. It is a true work of art, and actually pretty well made for such a low budget. You get a sense that a lot of thought went into it. And, all of this without the use of CGI, cutaways, sudden flashbacks, or any of the other usual Hollywood devices. It was so emotionally engaging, and thought provoking.
I like how the ending drops you off, and leaves you wondering how things are going to turn out. It was truly painful to watch, because you really understand how this affects the main boy, and how horrific this experience is for him. Several parts brought me to tears, especially the ending. Any movie which can achieve that is a good movie. Personally, I think that they pulled off something truly magical with this one, and now I want to see more by this director.
As for the subject matter, I think the writer was a little heavy handed in their approach, but it is something which does happen, and we really owe it to those silent victims to watch this movie, and understand what is happening to them. I think they managed to really make that possible with this movie, and I would strongly recommend it as something which all of us should watch.
