We Need to Talk About Kevin

Tilda Swinton, John C Reilly, Ezra Miller

Dir. Lynne Ramsay
Scr. Lynne Ramsay & Rory Kinnear (based on the novel of the same name by Lionel Shriver)

I was afraid to see this movie. Being a fan of the book, I had my doubts that they could make it work as a film. Also, knowing what was coming, I was simply scared to see on the big screen what had been so disturbing on the page. So, yes, this is not necessarily a nice movie to watch. But it is utterly and absolutely compelling, superbly acted, chilling, beautiful and does justice to its best-selling material. I did wonder how easy it was to follow, particularly the first half hour or so, if you hadn’t read the book. But I can only assume that the possible confusion would only serve to throw an audience off-guard, making the subsequent reveals and realisations that much more shocking.

We Need to Talk About Kevin explores the relationship between mother and son, and ultimately poses those age-old questions of nature versus nurture, of whether evil exists and can exist from birth, of how culpable the parents of criminals truly are. Eva (Swinton) is certainly not the most maternal of mothers and, from early on, struggles to connect or relate to her distant son, Kevin (played, at different ages, by three actors). When Kevin reaches his teenage years (this incarnation played by Miller), it seems that nothing can unite mother and son. And when Kevin carries out an unthinkable act of violence, Eva’s life is forever changed. Ostracised by her community, her last hope is to understand why he did what he did and, in doing so, figure out how much she was to blame.

This film is non-linear for much of the first half, which may well annoy some film-goers. I can only advise that you stick with it. And, if you’ve read the book, it is easier to sit back and just go along for the ride. I have to say I found the first half hour or so stunning – a little heavy-handed on the red imagery perhaps, but nonetheless beautiful and, at times, breath-taking. Ramsay obviously had a wonderful time playing with light and colour. Sure, it’s arty. But don’t scoff – it certainly fills in all the blanks by the end of the film and won’t leave you wondering what happened. In the end, this film is a physiological thriller/horror and you need to know that going in. But that doesn’t mean beauty and indeed joy can’t be found at its fringes.

It’s utterly inconceivable that I’ve managed to go three paragraphs and not fallen to my knees and worshipped Tilda Swinton. She is perfection in this role. An utter powerhouse. Completely transfixing. I simply cannot understand why she didn’t receive an Oscar nomination – It. Does. Not. Compute. Her portrayal of Eva as a completely broken woman is heart-wrenching. But equally, Eva the ballsy mother or Eva the young idealist are brilliant. Her stricken, hollow expression burns into your brain and doesn’t shift for days. I could mention so many particular scenes (so many!) in which she shone but really, just watch the film and see for yourself. Reilly gives a refreshingly straight-man performance as husband/father Franklin. The boys who play Kevin are all very good, but the utterly beautiful Miller (those cheekbones!) has the most to work with and is as transfixing as Swinton, especially in their scenes together.

As I’ve said, this is not a nice film. Perhaps I will see it again, but I’m not in an enormous hurry to. However, I cannot recommend it enough. If you’ve read the book, see the film. If you haven’t, see the film but just make sure you know a little what you’re getting yourself into. And be warned: this may put you off having children forever.

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Franklin: Hey, Kev. Listen buddy, it's easy to misunderstand something when you hear it out of context.

Kevin: Why would I not understand the context? I am the context.