There is a moment early in Debra Granik's Winter's Bone in which 17-year-old Ree Dolly tells her 12-year-old brother "There's a bunch of stuff that you're going to have to get over being scared of". Played by Jennifer Lawrence, Ree is one of the truly memorable heroines of recent American cinema. She is self-sacrificing of personal desire and determined - as she follows her decisions against all pain or struggles with profound internal strength and resilience.

In perhaps the films most hauntingly gripping scene, there is a moment when Ree's tough exterior finally breaks and reveals the reality of her youth amongst a dangerous environment. As a potential spoiler, I will keep the details of this scene minimal - only mentioning that a cold night, a murky river, and a rusty chainsaw set it up. Heightening the intensity is a chilling performance from Dale Dickey ("Why did you let go!?"'), blending perfectly with the complex manner in which Lawrence portrays Ree's courage and vulnerability. Ree's blunt way of living quickly returns, for as she puts it "I'm a Dolly - bred, and buttered'...

The world of Winter's Bone is a bleak and brutal world, yet the films real beauty is that Granik avoids patronizing the characters or the culture with a filmmaking sensibility that is both authentic and poetic. Through the films lack of self-awareness, what emerges is a warm, graceful and inspirational humanity.