Short Term 12

4 Stars

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Cast: Brie Larson, Frantz Turner, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever
Release Year: 2013
Rated: R

Brie Larson plays Grace, a counselor for troubled teens at Short Term 12. She is confident, caring and is willing to fight for all her kids. When she is not working however, she is nervous, and self-conscious. She is a woman with a past and while she advises her kids to talk about everything going on in their head she refuses to do the same.

This is a difficult role and Larson delivers it flawlessly. She does not fall into the trap of playing the emotions of the scene. I felt as though she was living and breathing everything her character was experiencing giving the audience a raw, truthful performance. She is only a year older than me and for her to be this in control of her character is astounding. Being the lead it is easy to remember her, but the rest of the cast does a great job as well. You feel for all the characters and are invested in their journeys from beginning to end.

Grace is a physically and mentally wounded woman. She is able to hide from her problems until the arrival of Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever). Everything seems to fall apart with Jayden's appearance and Grace shuts herself up even more from her boyfriend, Mason (John Gallagher, Jr.). 

Larson and Gallagher, Jr. are fantastic together. They react to each other and have believable chemistry. Mason is the complete opposite of Grace. He is open and willing to talk. He loves Grace and wants to help her, but she refuses to let him in. This aspect of the film gives additional insight into Short Term 12 and the teens that reside there.

The teen actors are also memorable. It is easy to make the characters obnoxious and unlikable, but they are not. You know why Kaitllyn Dever's Jayden acts up. Luis (Kevin Hernandez) and Marcus (Keith Stanfield) may not like each other, but there is also a sense of hurt and protectiveness that rounds them out as full, living characters. One of the most memorable parts of the film is when Marcus is sharing his latest rap verse with Mason. The camera does not change angles from the moment he begins to rap until he is done. I don't want to say what the rap is about or how he performs it, but it is heart wrenching.

The film may focus more on having a happy ending, but it doesn't feel forced. The topics in the film are heavy and after everything we experience, the audience does want to see everyone in a better place. Even so, it doesn't feel like a cop out. It's still though provoking and difficult to grasp. Brie Larson is marvelous and I am looking forward to seeing her in Room. Here's hoping I can be that good one day.

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