We Need To Talk About Kevin

Some things in life are scary. That creaking floorboard you hear in the middle of the night. The moment you realise you've forgotten to do your homework. The first time you meet your future in-laws. Gordon Brown's smile. All of these can instil fear into the hearts of even the toughest men. And yet, nothing quite compares to the terror of parenthood. Now, I don't mean the normal apprehension of 'will I be a good mother' or the worry that 'Cordelia's little one has already begun to play the piano and my Jack can't even walk yet'. I mean the fear of not connecting with your child, of not bonding with them, or, heaven forbid, not loving them. We Need To Talk About Kevin addresses this issue head on and, in doing so, becomes one of the best films this year.

Directed by Lynne Ramsay and based upon the best-selling book by Lionel Shriver, We Need To Talk About Kevin follows the life of Eva (Tilda Swinton) who, after giving up her career to have Kevin (Ezra Miller), fails to bond with her child and becomes increasingly alienated from him. When Kevin commits a terrible crime at his high-school, Eva's life falls apart and she holds herself responsible for his actions and tries to come to terms with her grief and her ever-growing guilt. First off, this film is a tough watch. From the moment it starts to the moment the credits roll, the film grabs you emotionally and doesn't let you go. Indeed, for days after watching it, it will still hold you in its powerful grip. The film most definitely belongs to Swinton and she commands the screen with a haunting and tormented presence which is both beautiful and disturbing. Ramsay's and fellow screenwriter Rory Kinnear's adaptation of the book gave Swinton the room and scope to give a performance which is one of her best to date. The way in which she carried herself throughout the film made the character of Eva all the more believable and demonstrates what a brilliant actress she is. A strong supporting performance from John C. Reilly as Eva's husband made the film all the more enjoyable and Miller's Kevin captured perfectly a psychologically-disturbed teenager, seemingly with no redeeming qualities.

Another stand-out feature of the film was the way in which it was shot. Bordering on an art-house style, the cinematography was immensely striking and the sound design was very effective (Ramsay places great thought into the sound of her films). Never before has a garden sprinkler sounded so threatening. Visually, the colour red seemed to permeate through the film as though the camera itself had been contaminated by Kevin's actions and this made it all the more unsettling to watch. The tight camera framing reflected the sense of entrapment that Eva felt and allowed Swinton's distinctive facial features to show a thousand emotions in one moment. Kevin's relationship with his mother is, of course, an integral part of the film and superb script-writing and dialogue highlighted this struggle. Even as a toddler, Kevin is in total control of his mother and, although at times I was willing Eva to be more defiant in her treatment of Kevin, it is impossible not to find sympathy for her and her situation. The clever use of flashbacks carried the narrative forward and made the events of 'now' even more effective (for example, when Eva has to hide in the supermarket from the mother of one of Kevin's victims). Such scenes demonstrate what film-making is all about: creating a connection with the audience that can't be found anywhere else.

And so, as I reflect on We Need To Talk About Kevin, I'm left with a question. Was it entertaining? It almost seems inappropriate to use language such as 'entertaining' about a film which is so dark, so disturbing and so thought-provoking. It would be like saying people become undertakers 'for a laugh'. But the more I think about the engaging plot, the first-class acting and the atmospheric cinematography and lighting, the more I think yes, it is entertaining. After all, you're not going to pay the best part of a tenner to be bored are you? But I feel no review can do the film justice. We Need To Talk About Kevin is film-making at its finest and it is a film that you need to see. Then, and only then, can you talk about Kevin. 

Clapperboard Rating: * * * * *