The House That Jack Built

Written and directed by Lars von Trier from an idea by von Trier and Jenle Hallund, The House That Jack Built is the story of the life of a serial killer in the course of 12 years as he kills various people from the 1970s to the 1980s in the state of Washington. The film is a psychological horror film that explores a man’s love of killing people through five moments in his life as he sees his killings as works of art as the titular character is portrayed by Matt Dillon. Also starring Bruno Ganz, Uma Thurman, Riley Keough, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Sofie Grabol, and Jeremy Davies. The House That Jack Built is a discomforting yet intense film from Lars von Trier.

Set in the 1970s and 1980s in the state of Washington through five events and an epilogue, the film is the simple story of the life of a failed architect who becomes a serial killer as he would kill a lot of people during the course of his life. It’s a film that explores a man’s life through the people he killed with many of the victims being women as he would talk about his exploits to another man off screen as well as view his murders as art. Lars von Trier’s screenplay is told through five chapters as it relates to life of its titular character (Matt Dillon) as he would have these off-screen conversations with a man named Verge (Bruno Ganz) such as the first time he killed someone to how his murders would get more sophisticated during the years as he becomes less compulsive and more refined. It also showcases his growing sense of disdain towards aspects of humanity as well as seeing his killings as works of art where he is determined to be more artistic. Yet, he would also cope in trying to create a house for himself as another form of artistic expression.

The direction of von Trier is stylish in its approach to telling a man’s life story yet it draws upon many ideas of artistry with inter-cut images of stock footage and such to play into Jack’s psyche and pursuit of artistic glory. Shot on various locations in Sweden and parts of Denmark including Copenhagen, the film does play into this small town world where Jack drives a shiny red-colored van as von Trier would shoot much of the film on different formats with much of the narrative presented in the 2:39:1 aspect ratio with some stock footage shot in the 1:37:1 full-frame aspect ratio. Much of von Trier’s usage of close-ups and medium shots are presented with hand-held cameras to get a sense into Jack’s own emotions as well as those he terrorizes during the course of the film. There are some wide shots as a few of them pay homage to Carl Theodor Dreyer’s film Master of the House in a sequence where Jack carries a body to his home in a darkly-comical speedy presentation. The direction also has von Trier borrow images from not just various pieces of art including footage from shorts and such along with von Trier’s own films but also paintings, sculptures, and designs of houses, churches, and other places to play into Jack’s fascination with art.

Even as it play into Jack’s obsession in creating the perfect house with the best materials he can find as his frustrations for perfection only fuels his desire to kill. The violence in the film is emphasized more on impact rather than gore and anything outrageous as von Trier shows these acts of violence to play into Jack’s obsession with its culture and how much control he can bring while becoming more sadistic in his pursuit of artistic triumphs. The film’s final incident and its epilogue play into Jack’s obsession as well as this individual he had been talking to throughout the film off-screen in Verge. The final incident would also reveal a room that Jack had been trying to get into in the ice locker he owned where he would store many of his victims as it would play into Jack’s desire of his own dream house but also a chilling epilogue that is more about Jack’s fate and the decision he makes as a man. Overall, von Trier creates a disturbing yet evocative film about the life of a serial killer and his pursuit of artistic glory.

Cinematographer Manuel Alberto Claro does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of colors and low-key lights for scenes at the night and in some of the interior scenes add to the stark visual tone of the film. Editors Molly Malene Stensgaard and Jacob Secher Schulsinger do excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, montages, and other stylish cuts to play into Jack’s journey. Production designer Simone Grau Roney and art director Cecilia Hellner do fantastic work with the apartment that Jack lives in as well as the ice house that he owns with boxes of frozen pizzas where he would store the body while von Trier would serve as art director for the film’s final scene. Costume designer Manon Rasmussen does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward in what Jack wears with the exception of a red bathrobe he would wear late in the film.

Prosthetics makeup effects designer Love Larson does terrific work with the look of the corpses that Jack has collected in his storage ice room. Visual effects supervisors Pierre Buffin and Peter Hjorth do amazing work with the visual effects for some sequences during the epilogue that includes recreations of a few paintings. Sound designer Kristian Eidnes Andersen does superb work with the sound where it emphasizes on natural elements and sparse textures to play into the realism of the film. The film’s music by Victor Reyes is wonderful for its low-key approach to ambient music which is only used sparingly for its climatic epilogue while music supervisor Mikkel Maltha provide a music soundtrack that adds a lot of punch to Jack’s journey from classical pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and Richard Wagner as a Bach piece is performed by Glenn Gould with the rest of the soundtrack features Louis Armstrong’s rendition of St. James Infirmary Blues, a cover of Ray Charles’ Hit the Road Jack by David Johansen in his Buster Poindexter persona, and David Bowie’s Fame.

The casting by Des Hamilton, Avy Kaufman, and Lara Manwaring is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Osy Ikhile as a victim of Jack’s late in the film, David Bailie as a friend of Jack’s in S.P., Jeremy Davies as an ammunitions salesman in Al, Jack McKenzie as a blacksmith in Sonny, Emil Tholstrup as a young Jack, Marijana Jankovic and Carina Skenhede as a couple of victims of Jack’s, Rocco and Cohen Day in their respective roles as the boys Grumpy and George, and Edward Spleers as a policeman during the film’s second incident. In the performances of some of the women that Jack would encounter, Uma Thurman as the annoying hitchhiking lady, Siobhan Fallon Hogan as a widowed neighbor, Sofie Grabol as a mother of two boys, and Riley Keough as a young girlfriend of Jack’s in Simple are excellent in their roles as the women in Jack’s life who would play into his evolution as a serial killer and his growing fascination in being an artist.

Bruno Ganz is phenomenal as Verge as this mysterious man who appears off-screen for much of the film as he converses with Jack about his killings and such where he is appalled by his actions but also intrigued as his appearance in the film’s final moments reveal something much bigger as someone who observes all of Jack’s exploits. Finally, there’s Matt Dillon in an incredible performance as the titular character as this architect whose desire to create a home for himself is troubled by his desire for perfection as his frustrations with humanity leads him to killing people where he sees it as an expression of art where Dillon displays some charm but also a manic energy into his role as it is a career-defining performance for Dillon.

The House That Jack Built is a spectacular film from Lars von Trier that features a sensational performance from Matt Dillon. Along with its ensemble cast that includes a great supporting performance from Bruno Ganz as well as its ravishing visuals, offbeat music soundtrack, and study of humanity, murder, and art. It’s a film that is definitely not for the faint of heart as it shows von Trier at his most carnal but also with a level of restraint into the acts of violence as well as studying the mind of a man who kills for the pleasure of it as well as to fill the void of his own artistic satisfaction. In the end, The House That Jack Built is a tremendous film from Lars von Trier.

Lars von Trier Films: The Element of Crime - Epidemic - Medea (1988 TV film) - Europa - The Kingdom I - Breaking the Waves - The Kingdom II - Dogme #2: Idioterne - Dancer in the Dark - Dogville - The Five Obstructions - Manderlay - The Boss of It All - Antichrist - Dimension (2010 short) - Melancholia - Nymphomaniac - The Kingdom: Exodus - (Etudes)

Related: Favorite Films #3: Breaking the Waves - The Auteurs #7: Lars von Trier

© thevoid99 2019

Funny Games (2007 film)

Written and directed by Michael Haneke, Funny Games is a remake of the 1997 made by Haneke about a couple and their son whose vacation home is terrorized by a couple of young men. The film is a shot-for-shot remake of Haneke’s original 1997 film as it explores the idea of violence used in films and other forms of media. Starring Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt, Brady Corbet, and Devon Gearhart. Funny Games is a harrowing yet strange film from Michael Haneke.

A family arrives at their vacation home where they meet a couple of young visitors who would later terrorize their home and make them play a game where the family have 12 hours to live or else they all die. That is the premise of the film in a nutshell where it’s exactly the same thing that writer/director Michael Haneke told ten years before with the original film in the same name made in Austria. This time around, it’s set in America and told through English dialogue as it also has moments that break the fourth wall where one of the young men asks the audience if they want to see more violence. It all plays into this world where there are no rules other than what one decides on what to do and the fate of these characters.

Haneke’s direction has him doing the same visuals shot-for-shot as he did with his original version with a few minor differences as it is shot on location in Long Island, New York and areas in the state of New York. Notably as Haneke maintains that intimacy in the compositions through medium shots and close-ups to play up the suspense and terror. The moments of violence happen off screen as it’s more about the reaction to the aftermath rather than the action of gory violence. Haneke isn’t afraid to show blood or a dead body to maintain that sense of dread of what the characters would encounter. Then there’s these brief moments where the fourth wall is broken as one of the young men in Paul (Michael Pitt) would look at the camera and ask the audience if they could go further. The growing tension and suspense get more uneasy as the story progresses while there is concern of whether this family can get out of this situation. Overall, Haneke crafts a riveting yet unsettling film about two young men invading a family’s home.

Cinematographer Darius Khondji does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key colors for some of the daytime scenes along with lights for some of the scenes set at night. Editor Monika Willi does terrific work with the editing as it is straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into some of the suspenseful moments in the film. Production designer Kevin Thompson, with set decorator Rebecca Meis DeMarco and art director Hinju Kim, does fantastic work with the look of the home of the family including the interiors of the living room and other things at the house. Costume designer David C. Robinson does nice work with the clothes as it is mainly casual with a posh-tennis look for the two young men who terrorize the family. Sound mixers Jean-Pierre Laforce and Thomas Varga do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the home and the usage of diegetic music that is played on a stereo or a car radio that would play an array of classical music as the only non-diegetic piece that is played is a screeching metal piece by Naked City.

The casting by Johanna Ray is wonderful as it include some notable small roles and appearances from Boyd Gaines as the neighbor Fred, Siobhan Fallon Hogan as a friend on a boat in Betsy, Robert Lupone as Betsy’s husband, and Susanne Haneke as Betsy’s sister-in-law. Devon Gearhart is fantastic as Georgie Farber as a young boy who is dealing with the terror as he would try to get help only to make a chilling discovery of what happened next door. Brady Corbet is superb as Peter as the more timid of the two young men who is terrorizing the home yet can prove he can be threatening if he wants to.

Michael Pitt is amazing as Paul as the more aggressive of the two young men who has a devilish wit to him in the way he masterminds everything as well as asking the audience if they want more. Tim Roth is brilliant as George Farber as a man who gets injured as he becomes helpless in his inability to defend his family and fight back. Finally, there’s Naomi Watts in a tremendous performance as Ann Farber as a woman that is trying to deal with everything including moments of humiliation and terror as well as willing to do whatever she can to fight back.

Funny Games is a phenomenal film from Michael Haneke that features great performances from Naomi Watts, Michael Pitt, and Tim Roth. Along with its ensemble cast, eerie storyline, and haunting visuals, it’s a film that play into the concept of home invasion while making commentary on its depiction of violence in film and popular culture. While it doesn’t have much difference with its original version in 1997, it still manages to pack in some punches as well as raise questions about violence. In the end, Funny Games is a sensational film from Michael Haneke.

Michael Haneke Films: (The Seventh Continent) – (Benny’s Video) – (71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance) – (The Castle (1997 TV movie) – Funny Games (1997 film) - Code Unknown – The Piano Teacher - (Time of the Wolf) – Cache` - The White Ribbon - Amour (2012 film) - Happy End

© thevoid99 2018

Dancer in the Dark

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/24/04 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Written and directed by Lars von Trier, Dancer in the Dark is a film about a Czech immigrant raising her son in 1964 America trying to raise money to save her son's sight as her own vision diminishes. In the spirit of Dogme 95, von Trier goes for natural sounds and realism for storytelling as he also combines another film genre that he loves, the musicals. In Dancer in the Dark, von Trier uses the musical as an escapist backdrop to the character of Selma, played by Icelandic vocalist Bjork, as her world crumbles down as she tries to save the life of her own son in one of von Trier's most powerful achievements.

It's 1964 in Washington as Czech immigrant Selma is rehearsing to play Maria for a production of The Sound of Music. While working at a factory with her friends Kathy (Catherine Deneuve) and Jeff (Peter Stormare), Selma hopes get the role for the play as she dreams of being in a musical while hoping to raise money for her son Gene (Vladica Kostic) who might become blind as she is starting to suffer from blindness. While her landlord in local officer Bill (David Morse) and his wife Linda (Cara Seymour) help out, she has managed to save $2000 as Gene's doctor (Stellan Skarsgard) starts to worry about Selma's eyesight. While she tries to hide her blindness from everyone including the factory foreman (Jean-Marc Barr), it doesn't help out as her work suffers while the play director (Vincent Paterson) thinks she might not be up to doing the part.

Following a meeting with Bill over his own financial issues due to Linda's spending, Selma decides to keep a secret for Bill. Hoping to get more overtime for more money, she suddenly daydreams of being in a musical where she causes trouble and is fired. After telling Jeff about her blindness, she has another daydream moment as Jeff decides to meet her later that day. Upon returning home, Selma learns that the money she has saved was stolen as she asks Bill where something goes wrong leading to a horrifying incident. Meeting up with Jeff, he takes her to the hospital where they meet the operation doctor (Udo Kier) and gives him money for Gene's operation. After being arrested following a rehearsal, Selma is then put into trial where its district attorney (Zeljko Ivanek) interrogates her.

Claiming her father is Czech film star Oldrich Novy (Joel Grey), Novy attends the trial as she has a dream that they're dancing for a musical number. Sent to jail following the trial, Selma befriends a guard named Brenda (Siobhan Fallon) as Selma makes another move to save her son's life.

The film is clearly von Trier's most accessible effort to date despite his emphasis on handheld digital video cameras that he used since he is also credited as the camera operator. Emphasizing on the spirit of Dogme 95, von Trier brings a natural look to the film as opposed to the more cinematic, heightened look of most films today. With Breaking the Waves cinematographer Robby Muller, von Trier gives the film a look that is captivating from its grayish tone in many scenes to the more colorful tone in the musical interludes where Muller shines in his vast cinematography, especially since the musical numbers features nearly 100 cameras in use. For von Trier, it’s another experiment that succeeds as he just tries to bring a real look without any gloss that has been seen in Hollywood films.

The film's story is a wide mix of melodrama and musicals as Bjork's Selma says that in musicals, nothing dreadful happens. Well with von Trier, that isn't the case. Especially the ending that is just heartbreaking because of its sadistic nature as von Trier uses pain for a huge, emotional climax like he did in Breaking the Waves. Really, the story is about a woman saving the life of her child by sacrificing herself and it's a heartbreaking story. While the film's first act starts off a bit slow (if you don't count the colorful overture in the film's first few minutes), it picks up just as the musical numbers come in with amazing choreography from Vincent Paterson as well as original music from Bjork with additional compositions from longtime Bjork collaborator Sjon Sigurdsson and von Trier himself.

The music definitely plays up to the spirit of musicals that von Trier has loved with its mix of electronic beats and textures as well as Rodgers & Hammerstein arrangements all put in a lush, grand tone. Bjork is clearly the star of the music as the cast itself sings many of the great songs on the film (although Peter Stormare's vocals were replaced by Radiohead's Thom Yorke in the film's soundtrack entitled Selmasongs). The music really serves a purpose in the same way von Trier used the music as an emotional outlet in Breaking the Waves.

Another great aspect of the film, which received a lot of controversy when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000, was von Trier's depiction of America. While the film was shot in Sweden, von Trier does give a nice idea in what America would look like although in Washington, it's usually rainy. In many respects, von Trier is looking at America in a dream in the same way Stanley Kubrick used London as New York City for Eyes Wide Shut. Really, it's America in a dreamier tone in reference to the Hollywood musicals that Selma loved. Really, von Trier isn't trying to knock America but he knows that he doesn't have to go there to know what's going on since he's pretty much afraid to go on a plane and doesn't like to travel very much.

The film's cast is amazing not just in their singing voices but in their roles as well. While von Trier veterans like Stellan Skarsgard, Udo Kier, and Jean-Marc Barr had small roles, their cameos were fun to watch in their respective roles while Vincent Paterson is excellent as the theater director and Zeljko Ivanek is excellent as the D.A. and doing a great job in an American accent. Joel Grey is amazing to watch in his small role as Oldrich Novy as he shows his graceful talent as a dancer and as an actor, especially since he hasn't been heard from since his Oscar-winning performance in Bob Fosse's Cabaret.

Cara Seymour is wonderful as the scornful wife Linda, especially playing a character that later on, is loathed for her actions and Seymour does an excellent job in that performance. Vladica Kostic is wonderful as Gene, especially since he just plays a kid in a restraint tone without going over the top or anything. Siobhan Fallon is lovely as Brenda as the scenes with Bjork are gripping to watch, especially in the film's final moments.

For the rest of the supporting cast, the film's best performance easily goes to French film legend Catherine Devenue. Devenue is amazing to watch as Selma's sympathetic best friend who shares her love of musicals. Devenue almost serves as a voice of reason for the anguished, naïve Selma as in the third act; her action nearly upsets Selma as in the end, comes a heartbreaking scene of friendship. Devenue is as enigmatic and masterful in her portrayal. Peter Stormare is superb as the wannabe-boyfriend Jeff by just underplaying the role sensitively and sympathetically and you want him to be her boyfriend. Stormare gives a subtle performance that is quiet and gripping at the same, especially in the film's final act. David Morse is amazing as the anguished Bill who does get sympathy despite his own actions but when Morse sings, he shines as does his character that gives more outlook into this versatile yet, underrated actor.

The film's best performance overall easily goes to Bjork in her first film in many years since she's done film work as a child in her native Iceland. In her first adult performance, Bjork brings a heartbreaking, sympathetic performance that is filled with lost innocence and anguish. The character of Selma is a complex yet flawed character as she brings the escapism in everyone through musicals. Bjork even comes livelier in the musical interludes with her thick Icelandic vocals while in the final act, she comes out with a gripping performance that is so powerful, it will leave you in tears.

Dancer in the Dark is a spectacular, genre-bending film from Lars von Trier. With a great cast led by Bjork and Catherine Devenue along with wonderful musical interludes, the film is among one of von Trier's more accessible film as well as one of his strangest. While it has a look that is strange despite the dated look of the digital photography, it is a film that is very abstract and dream-like. In the end, Dancer in the Dark is a superb film from Lars von Trier.

Lars von Trier Films: The Element of Crime - Epidemic - Medea - Europa - The Kingdom I - Breaking the Waves - The Kingdom II - Dogme #2-Idioterne - Dogville - The Five Obstructions - Manderlay - The Boss of It All - Antichrist - Dimension (2010 short) - Melancholia - Nymphomaniac - The House That Jack Built - The Kingdom: Exodus - (Etudes)

Related: The Auteurs #7: Lars von Trier

© thevoid99 2012

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Based on the novel by Lionel Shriver, We Need to Talk About Kevin is the story of a woman reflecting on her life as a mother to a son that has killed a bunch of kids in school. Directed by Lynne Ramsay and adapted to script by Ramsay and Rory Stewart Kinnear, the film explores a woman’s relationship with her son and how she feels responsible for what had happened. Starring Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ashley Gerasimovich, and Ezra Miller. We Need to Talk About Kevin is a harrowing yet hypnotic drama from Lynne Ramsay.

Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton) meets a man named Franklin (John C. Reilly) as the two get married and have a child name Kevin (Rocky Duer). However, motherhood doesn’t become exciting as she has to endure Kevin’s cries and wails where by the time he’s six (Jasper Newell). He still wears a diaper and refuses to talk as Franklin is convinced he’s just a good kid still taking his time as Eva remains unsure why he’s so hostile towards her. After the arrival of a new young sibling in Celia (Ashley Gerasimovich), Kevin becomes more hostile towards his mother as he becomes a gifted archer in his teens (Ezra Miller). Eva struggles to bond with Kevin as his behavior darkens when a series of small incidents happen leading to a school massacre. For Eva, she wonders about what did she do for all of this to happen.

What happens when a mother learns that the child she’s given birth to would become a total psychopath? That’s what the film asks as it’s all about a mother trying to understand what role did she play into raising her son and why he did what he did. Yet, the film is told via flashback as this woman is struggling to return to a normal life as she still has to endure the ire of families whose children had been killed by her. She also has to visit her son who is about to go to prison after being in juvenile hall for a few years as she wonders why did he do it? The results are much more ambiguous that leaves more questions than answers while if there are any answers. It wouldn’t really do anything but raise more questions.

Lynne Ramsay and co-screenwriter Rory Stewart Kinnear create a story where the narrative shifts back and forth in a somewhat non-linear manner as it’s based on Eva’s memory of her life and how it all fell apart. Eva is a very interesting woman for the way she started off as this travel agent who later becomes an author. When she becomes pregnant with Kevin, she is not sure what to think of it as she reacts quite detached to Kevin’s arrival which may be a cause for Kevin’s hostility towards her. Still, that doesn’t give enough ideas about why Kevin is the way he is as Ramsay and Kinnear continue to remain ambiguous about his persona as it’s all focused on the mother.

Then there’s Franklin who isn’t as developed as Eva nor Kevin yet he is just as interesting for the way he reacts to what is happening though he is sort of a clueless character. Still, he’s someone whom Kevin seems to warm up to while his presence seems to bring a sense of peacefulness to what is happening despite Kevin’s dark persona. The script’s approach to characterization and unconventional plotting makes it very entrancing to the way the story is told. Notably as it doesn’t try to use any kind of exposition or wanting to give any explanations for the actions that the characters do as it’s a script that is smart and complex for its theme on guilt.

Ramsay’s direction is truly startling in the way she chooses to present the film as it starts off with this lingering image of a sliding door opened and then cuts to a slow-motion scene of La Tomatina in Spain. While this scene shows what Eva’s life is like at the time, it is mixed with unsettling sounds of noise and dialogue that seems to be in a very different place. There is a lot of style to the way Ramsay chooses to present her film while her framing and directing the actors in a scene is very engaging. While there are still some hand-held shots in the film, there’s a lot more steady shots and emphasis to have the camera move on dolly tracks to soak in the environment Eva and Kevin live in.

Since the film is shot largely in Stamford, Connecticut, there is a look that is American but also has a European feel to it in terms of the way Ramsay chooses to tell the story. Since the film has a narrative that shifts back and forth from past to present, it allows Ramsay to create montages of Eva’s memory in parallel to what she’s dealing with in the present. One of Ramsay’s gifts as a director is creating a mood of what is happening from the musical choices she uses to create something that seems off-kilter but also plays up to the dark ambiguity. There’s also a lot of dark humor for the way Kevin does things to Eva to make the film not seem as dramatic as it’s intended. The overall work Ramsay does with this film is astonishing as she truly creates a chilling film about a mother’s guilt.

Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey does a brilliant job with the cinematography from the very colorful yet lush look of the daytime scenes at the suburban home that Eva and her family lives in to more stylish yet entrancing look of some of the nighttime scenes when Eva is driving in her car. Editor Joe Bini does a fantastic job with the editing in utilizing jump-cuts for some stylistic moments in the film as well as montages to create scenes of Eva’s recollection of what she is thinking about.

Production designer Judy Becker, along with set decorator Heather Loeffler and art director Charles Kulsziski, does excellent work with the set pieces creating including the rooms of the big house Eva and her family lives to play up their own personalities while Kevin‘s room is very sparse and cold. Costume designer Catherine George does a wonderful job with costumes from the long dresses that Eva wears in the past to more business-like clothing later in the film to emphasize her mood. Sound designer Paul Davies does a spectacular job with the sound design to create texture and moods that surrounds the film that are often intimate and sparse while also be unsettling at times due to Eva’s own recollections of what she is going through.

The film’s score by Jonny Greenwood is amazing for the mood he creates in the music that ranges from ambient pieces to chaotic orchestral material that includes these brooding harp melodies that just heightens the dark mood of the film. The film’s soundtrack is wide mix of music playing up to its differing moods from country and blues-driven music pieces by Lonnie Donegan and Washington Phillips to rock and pop music from acts like Buddy Holly, the Beach Boys, and Wham!. Other cuts include pieces by co-screenwriter Rory Stewart Kinnear, Helena Gough, Matt Fletcher, Jana Winderen, Sean Hargreaves, and Liu Fang that range from classical to ambient music as the overall music in the film is superb.

The casting by Billy Hopkins is terrific for the ensemble that is assembled as it includes small but notable performances from Siobhan Fallon-Hogan as Eva’s travel agency boss and Alex Manette as a co-worker named Colin. Ashley Gerasimovich is very good as Kevin’s little sister Celia while John C. Reilly is wonderful as Kevin’s father Franklin who tries to understand Eva’s behavior while being unaware of Kevin’s dark behavior. For the roles of Kevin, there’s Rocky Duer as the baby Kevin while Jasper Newell is great as the 6-8 year old Kevin who spouts out curse words and do all sorts of bad things bringing a bit of dark humor to the film.

Ezra Miller is brilliant in a brooding yet enthralling performance as Kevin from the way he just glares at everyone to how he can pull a façade where he makes his dad believe he’s a good kid. Miller’s performance is very complex to what he does for Kevin as there’s a kid who is very smart but also determined to play mind games as it’s remarkable work for the young actor. Finally, there’s Tilda Swinton in a magnificent performance as Eva. Swinton’s performance is truly mesmerizing as a woman trying to connect with her son while trying to find understand what role she played in doing what he did. It’s a very tricky role where someone could go overboard but the sense of restraint and humility Swinton brings is very masterful for what is needed as it’s Swinton at her best.

We Need to Talk About Kevin is a tremendous yet very dark film from Lynne Ramsay featuring top-notch performances from Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller. While it’s a film that will frustrate viewers who want answers or some kind of conventional story. It’s unconventional approach to storytelling and hypnotic direction does give the film a very slight edge into its exploration of death, guilt, and regret. For fans of Lynne Ramsay, it’s a welcome return following a nine-year hiatus as she proves that she is one of the best filmmakers working today. In the end, We Need to Talk About Kevin is an outstanding film from Lynne Ramsay.

Lynne Ramsay Films: Ratcatcher - Morvern Callar - You Were Never Really Here

Related: Auteurs #6: Lynne Ramsay

© thevoid99 2011