Reviews

After the death of Richard Stoker in a bizarre car accident, his brother Charlie (Matthew Goode) comes to stay with Richard's family for an extended period. Charlie is a bit of an enigma, from his initial appearance we are left in no doubt there is a dark secret lurking in his past and he is not all he seems to be.

Most of the film is viewed through the eyes of India (Mia Waskowska), Richard's daughter. India has a distrust of her uncle from the beginning, after all until now she didn't know she had an uncle. Her mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman) is more trusting and seems to be falling in love, or at least in lust with him.

India discovers that the housekeeper knows something of Charlie's history. But instead of confronting her, she seemingly ignores it - despite her desperately wanting to know more of the stranger in their midst.

India and Charlie's relationship is a very strange one. At one point it is almost incestuous, at others hateful and at some points reminiscent of Bonnie and Clyde.

The film develops with various plot twists and surprises, all of which add to the tension. But the twists get gradually more and more bizarre and less believable. The film's final act is completely unrealistic ultimately giving the film an unrealistic and empty feeling.

There are many good films through the years that have great promise but ultimately fail to deliver. In my opinion this is certainly one of those.

It's still a film worth watching, the cinematography is wonderful, the acting is at times very good, Wasikowsksa in particular. But, the second half of the film is all a bit of a let down.

After struggling with myself for months, I finally decided to watch "We need to talk about Kevin". Knowing the subject matter of the film, my dilemma was whether or not it was for me. But after hearing good reviews from people I trust, I decided to take the plunge. I knew it wouldn't be an easy watch and it certainly isn't.

My one overriding 'take out' of the film is that it is one of the most powerful and harrowing examples of film making I have ever seen. Whilst not exactly enjoyable, it does the job any great piece of serious cinema, literature, music etc should do. It stays with and provokes an emotional response from the viewer.

The film concentrates on the relationship between Eva, her husband Franklin, their son Kevin, and their daughter Celia. The story is told in flashbacks, piecing together actions that lead to an event and its consequences to Eva. The full nature of the event is only revealed in the final minutes of the film, but is hinted at through its course. At the core of the film lies the question, does nature or nurture make the man. It is refreshing that the film leaves room for the audience to come to their own conclusion. From its first scenes, we are left in no doubt that the story is building up to tragedy. The broodingly atmospheric air of the film builds throughout, but thankfully never crosses the fine line of discomfort for too long.

Thankfully, the film is not born from Hollywood, so does not try to tie up the story with a neat little bow. Leaving several questions unanswered and not shouting at the viewer what he or she should be thinking.

The acting from the cast is first rate. As an unwilling mother to a boy ill at ease with the world, Tilda Swinton gives surely her most accomplished performance as Eva, Kevin's mother. No doubt it is only the subject matter of the film that prevented her from receiving an Oscar nomination. John C Reilly is fantastically understated in his role as Kevin's father, careful not to take the viewers attention away from Swinton. Both Jasper Newell and Ezra Miller are chilling in their depiction of Kevin at various stages in his life. Most of the plaudits will no doubt go to Miller, but the disturbing foundations of Kevin's character are expertly laid by Newell. To sum up, this film is certainly not for everyone. It is a challenging watch and will no doubt create a sense of unease in the viewer that will last from the first scenes to long after the final credits have finished rolling.