Review of We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) by Ron C — 18 Feb 2015
Basically the Anti-Boyhood, this film hints at a horrible crime carried out by a teenage son and then tells us in flashbacks about his upbringing and the mother's coping with the tragedy. That's quite a demanding task for Swinton who aces her role in every aspect.
She's the center of attention. While we get glimpses of Kevin's childhood and how things already went badly there, we're never told why or what exactly went wrong. In the end, his final act of violence is so unadulterated evil and shocking, that it feels like you have been watching a horror film all along.
Of course the director was out for that, while refusing to give a comfortable explanation. But it also takes away some of the realism and leaves you so disturbed you're wondering what you've been watching for two hours.
A film that is hard to love but should be viewed at least once. I bet some of the images will stay for a very long time.
This review of We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) was written by Ron C on 18 Feb 2015.
We Need to Talk About Kevin has generally received positive reviews.
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