"What did I do wrong?"

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) - dir. Lynne Ramsay - 5 stars

It is ironic that the film's title is never ever uttered; none of the characters ever feel the emotional or psychological strength to ask this question. But it is, after all, what is constantly crossing their minds - a preemptive question that seeks to unravel Pandora's box before it explodes.  In turn, we as the viewer wonder similarly how a teenager can commit such crimes and what their motivation could be?  Who is to blame in these circumstances?  Ramsay's film delicately handles this question and its very realistic answer, which, as always, isn't as black-and-white as people would have it.


The film is structured around the mother's flashbacks after Kevin's infamous deed and forms a very meaningful emotional spine for the story.  After all, the film might want to talk about Kevin, but Kevin isn't accessible to us as we are not in a similar psychological frame of mind.  So, it takes the mother and her self-questioning as the central theme.  "What did I do wrong?" becomes an evident question from start to finish as the mother, Eva, played beautifully by Tilda Swinton, struggles to return to a normal daily life.  She gets accosted by local neighbours regularly, who blame her for the whole event.  As she goes through the events in her head, we are guided along her youth, Kevin's birth and the aftermath.  The cross-over between the current and past is seamless thanks to visual connections, which is strengthened by a poignant script that leaves out any unnecessary dialogue.  In a film dealing with such a heavy concept, overuse of dialogue would have been the initial instinct as there are many things to explain.  But screenwriters Lynne Ramsay and Rory Kinnear have done an amazing job adapting Lionel Shriver's novel.


Besides the sound structure and clean script, there are many visual and aural themes that Ramsay utilizes to enhance her story.  Doors opening or closing are a repeated theme that seeks to establish a mother's curiosity in her child's odd behaviour.  Kevin is like a closed box, and no matter how much Eva tries, she can't truly see inside.  Another theme is the heavy use of red and contrasting colours.  Eva, as white as can be, looks striking around harsh red environments and the colour contrast really singles out her loneliness and helplessness.  Finally, the use of out-of-sync sound effects and dialogue also create that eery atmosphere in the film where all we're seeing is really what Eva remembers - usually after a bottle of wine.


A final mention has to be made for the actors in the film. From Tilda Swinton playing the mother to Jasper Newell and Ezra Miller as the child and teenager Kevin, the whole cast is outstanding.  There isn't a moment that feels fake, setup or forced.  It's all real and aching to find out why.  Why in the world is Kevin the way he is.  You better see the film to find out.  It may not be what you expect.