October 24, 2011
Essentially, this film is about a mother’s relationship with her son and what happens when the natural, maternal bond fails. The source material is Lionel Shriver’s seemingly impossible-to-adapt novel; told as it is through a series of letters from Eva to her husband, tracing back through time to her pregnancy and Kevin’s early childhood when, even then, Eva sensed something wasn’t quite right. The film retains the novel’s non-linearity through flashbacks, though helps the audience to place the era with little clues, such as the length of Eva’s hair.
Eva is played by Tilda Swinton – and it is hard to imagine the role in anyone else’s hands. It is a particularly nuanced performance; effortless and subtle – one senses the project would not have got off the ground without her involvement. Ezra Miller, as the eponymous Kevin, is going to be one to watch. His sneering and drawling through the story adds an extra eeriness to an already disturbing film. John C Reilly, as Kevin’s father, is an unusual choice, though he doesn’t have much to get his teeth into – this is Eva and Kevin’s story.
For those who haven’t read the book, the film’s content (particularly its climax) may come as a shock and it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. The film is beautifully shot (in keeping with the quiet observational stance of Ramsay’s earlier directorial efforts, such as Gasman and Ratcatcher), preferring handheld camera and soft focus and lingering on the reflections in characters’ eyes. The editing, too, is superb, cleverly switching between the expectation of gore to Eva scrubbing red paint from her hands. The soundtrack is also noteworthy, if only because its upbeat tunes are often at odds with the disturbing, ghoulish images on screen.
We Need to Talk About Kevin raises difficult questions – not least, what do you do as a mother if you believe your son is evil. As one friend put it, this film is the ultimate contraceptive – indeed, it certainly makes you think twice about parenthood. Whilst this is certainly worth watching, though, it is too emotionally intense to support a second viewing.
Eva is played by Tilda Swinton – and it is hard to imagine the role in anyone else’s hands. It is a particularly nuanced performance; effortless and subtle – one senses the project would not have got off the ground without her involvement. Ezra Miller, as the eponymous Kevin, is going to be one to watch. His sneering and drawling through the story adds an extra eeriness to an already disturbing film. John C Reilly, as Kevin’s father, is an unusual choice, though he doesn’t have much to get his teeth into – this is Eva and Kevin’s story.
For those who haven’t read the book, the film’s content (particularly its climax) may come as a shock and it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. The film is beautifully shot (in keeping with the quiet observational stance of Ramsay’s earlier directorial efforts, such as Gasman and Ratcatcher), preferring handheld camera and soft focus and lingering on the reflections in characters’ eyes. The editing, too, is superb, cleverly switching between the expectation of gore to Eva scrubbing red paint from her hands. The soundtrack is also noteworthy, if only because its upbeat tunes are often at odds with the disturbing, ghoulish images on screen.
We Need to Talk About Kevin raises difficult questions – not least, what do you do as a mother if you believe your son is evil. As one friend put it, this film is the ultimate contraceptive – indeed, it certainly makes you think twice about parenthood. Whilst this is certainly worth watching, though, it is too emotionally intense to support a second viewing.
