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Weaver and Michod Go Inside 'Animal Kingdom'
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Writer and director David Michod spent nearly eight years working on the screenplay for his debut film, Animal Kingdom. The feature is an inside look at a Melbourne-based family of bank robbers and drug dealers struggling to stay afloat as the police close in on them.
Both Michod and Jacki Weaver, who plays cold-blooded matriarch Janine "Smurf" Cody, join Dave Davies for a discussion about the film -- which won the World Cinema Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival -- and has been praised for its unglamorous portrayal of the daily lives of criminals.
"Animal Kingdom is like ... the third act of Goodfellas," explains Michod. "All of the crime that you see in the film is defensive, backed-into-a-corner retaliatory crime. It's a film about a gang of armed robbers in which you don't see them committing armed robbery. What you see is them backed into a corner and committing the crime of paranoid retaliation."
Weaver's performance -- praised by critic Bob Mondello for being one "you shouldn't -- and can't -- take your eyes off of" -- has also earned critical praise from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the Australian Film Institute, and the National Board of Review Awards. She has also appeared in The Two-Wheeled Time Machine and Caddie.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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