We Need to Talk About Kevin

The trailer seemed to show a psychological thriller, practically a horror film. The tension was set up so that the music and the motion would reach the deepest nerve levels in order to provide the viewer with the 'oh so intense' scary movie effect. As I am not a fan of horror films, the only reason why I chose to watch this film was the casting. Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller are one of those Hollywood actors that I respect due to their work ethic and good choice, both in films, fashion (this applies to Tilda especially), image. To my great pleasure "We Need to Talk About Kevin" turned out to be far from a horror film. Ever seen Arronofsky's "Pi" or  Noe's "Irreversible"? The films that are supposed to scare and frighten you, however only superficially. In the mean time, they focus on psychological issues and are meant to teach the public. "We Need to Talk About Kevin" is one of those films. 

The story is amazingly simple, yet complex in its own way, especially emotionally. Eva (Tilda Swinton) is the mother of Kevin (Ezra Miller), a very troubled and rebellious child. All her life she tried to form a bond between them, but as the child could not open up himself to his mother, hatred between them formed. The film is set in the present time where Eva is already condemned for her 'behavior' with Kevin and Kevin's actions, and as the film continues, the viewer gets acquainted with the reason for her torture and despair. The finale is shocking and dramatic, yet it is well placed and is a perfect culmination of the story. In general, the story focuses on the mother-son connection and its complexity. The director herself noted that she wanted to capture what would it be like if a mother hated her own son, but was inclined to love him at the same time, for the unconditional mother's love still exists. 

What makes this film a psychological thriller (though it seems more of a psychological drama to me), is the image. The constant symbolism of the red colour, water, arrows, eyes, lips give the impression of every action being predestined. Constant close-ups and very long lasting shots of Eva's mundane life help to give importance to the over-ordinary life. The viewer senses that her life is far from being ordinary. The pace of the film is incredibly slow. If you cannot hold your attention too long then I cannot recommend this film to you. However, this particular pace is especially calculated since it portrays Eva's suffering, her guilt and her anguish. When you are constantly reminded of your wrong-doings, you cannot overcome them and break through and this is exactly what is meant by the film.
What cannot be forgotten is the cast. As mentioned before, the two main actors are the gems of Hollywood. The true masters of their craft. Tilda Swinton is absolutely brilliant in this film. Her blank look, which is seen in practically in every scene, is haunting and conveys perfectly her despair and loneliness. As for Ezra Miller, in this film he introduces his creepy side. The look from below with those dark wolf-like eyes are terrifying and very devilish. He is so fitting for this role. From the first glance he seems so lovable, not to mention extremely handsome, but when he talks in this monotone voice, without any hint of emotions, you just shiver and squeeze your pillow harder, waiting what this demon boy will do or say next. 

  

    The film's message is not entirely clear to everyone. Some say it is meant to educate parents to care for their children in their early age. Some say it is to portray the true hatred one can feel towards others. Some say it is about the mother-son connection and its complexity. Others proclaim that the film deals with guilt and loneliness. The side I would stand for is a mixture of all of the above and one of my own. The film also portrays love. The love that is only felt, unconditionally and without any explanation. The actual form of this love is desperate need of attention and warmth, but the expression is twisted in ways that it is not even regarded as love. The similarity of the 'demon boy' Kevin and his mother Eva proves to be the biggest obstacle in their relationship, however it is also the reason why they cannot live without each other. 

The film is rewarding both, emotionally and visually. It is a treat for the eyes and for the soul, giving birth to new ideas and new feelings. Definitely one of the films one must watch. 9/10

The Great Gatsby

Without a doubt one of the most anticipated films of 2013, The Great Gatsby, directed by Baz Luhrman, is sadly more of a letdown than a success. Even though it was said that the cast, the soundtrack, the costumes and the props were perfect, the particular 'feel' of the film, that the book was engulfed in, was terribly lacking. It was a very good adaptation of the book (even though missed some events and stretched some too much), but not a film.

The story revolves around Nick (Tobey Maguire), who happens to be a neighbour of a very rich man, Gatsby (played by Leonardo DiCaprio). The whole catch is that Nick's cousin Daisy (Carrey Mulligan) is Gatsby's long lost love. By living directly on the opposite side of the bay, Gatsby tries to attract Daisy's attention by throwing ravishing parties with as many guests as possible. Eventually Nick organises their meeting and things turn to unimaginable chaos as Gatsby desperately tries to steal Daisy away from her husband. 

This story is well-known. The book is one of the American classics and thus it is always risky to adapt such a popular novel. There will always be negative reactions. Obviously, with this film, the decision was to exaggerate the extravaganza of the 1920s, the parties and the fashion, the contrasts between the main characters. Sadly, the latter was executed poorly. Daisy was made to be a prostitute, with her low-pitched, deep voice, it always seemed she was voicing a porn film. Gatsby, who was supposed to be left mysterious to the very end, was portrayed as the calm yet extremely animated and comical, childish person. To be honest it looked ridiculous to see DiCaprio acting so dazed and confused (haha), immature. However, it is amusing to note that the scenes of Gatsby's lack of maturity were the funniest and the most entertaining. Which also proves the film's failure.

What I actually enjoyed, though, included the well organised budget and the overall acting. The props, the fashion and the soundtrack, as mentioned before, were outstanding. I am well aware of the fact that many disagreed with the utilisation of modern songs in the film, however for me they were well-suited and helped to form the atmosphere. The definition of luxury and the glamour has changed over the years and only by using the present definition the director could show the Greatness of Gatsby. The fashion and the props were absolutely perfect. Well, that's not surprising as the clothes were designed by the genius Miuccia Prada... Everything that concerns the environment, the stages was plotted with extreme accuracy and precision. In this sense the film gets an A+. However, as it is  noted  above, that does not make a film, that makes an adaptation, which is a misfortune and a miscalculation.

It's worth mentioning, though, that despite the director's sad work of deciding on the character of the main actors, they executed it perfectly. The hot-tempered Gatsby, even if it didn't fit in his role in the book, was very convincing and very inspiring. Even not being a real fan of Tobey Maguire, I can say that his role didn't annoy as much as in Spider man. Here, he seemed in place, with his dull and childish voice and indecisive actions. Carey Mulligan, even adopting a prostitute's voice, seemed lovable, not to mention pretty and glamorous, innocent and sexy. I wished to see more of the two other characters, Tom Buchanan and Jordan Baker, which were cast terrifically.  Sadly, only in a few episodes I could admire the actors' work.

What annoyed and surprised me was the direction of the film. Baz Luhrman chose an old fashioned way of storytelling, with scenes overlapping, characters explaining their emotions, and an exceeding amount of slow motion scenes followed by very rapid change of frequency. It was very disturbing to watch, it seemed inconsistent. Moreover, the director put too much emphasis on the symbolism of various things. The green light, the flowers, the mansion, the clothing, the cars, the glasses of the doctor on billboard - everything seemed to have a bigger meaning, yet again, not consistently expressed. It felt as if it was mentioned and needed to be very important, but not explained throughout thus losing its purpose.

Overall, the film is far from successful, however, it is very entertaining. I could not force myself to watch again sober, though.

5/10