Review: We Need To Talk About Kevin

There is always trepidation watching a film adaptation of a book you have admired. Lionel Shriver‘s 2003 novel We Need to Talk about Kevin with its themes of parenthood and nature vs nurture hit a chord with readers around the world. The news that Scottish director Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher, Morvern Callar) was going to bring the book to the screen and that Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) was attached, not only brought relief to fans of the novel, but also further heightened our expectations. For who better to cast as the unreliable narrator Eva Khatchadourian than the woman who has played both the stoney White Witch in the Narnia films and delievered the powerhouse performance of the conflicted title character in 2008′s Julia. Ramsay who has been away from filmmaking for nine years, thanks to her shafting from the Lovely Bones adaptation by Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg (oh the film we could have had if Ramsay had been allowed to continue on that project!), has delivered not only one of the best films of the year, but also one of the most intelligent literary adaptations in recent history.

We Need to Talk about Kevin looks at the relationship between successful businesswoman Eva (Swinton) and her son Kevin (played as a teenager by Ezra Miller). Moving between past and present, the story explores the fallout of a terrible act of violence committed by 15-year-old Kevin, whilst considering the potential reasons for his actions. Was Kevin born bad? Did Eva’s lack of maternal instincts create an unstable child? The impact children can have on a relationship is also probed with Eva’s eternal optimist husband, Franklin (John C. Reilly) disagreeing with his wife about Kevin’s behaviour. The film considers every parent’s worst nightmare, what if you couldn’t love your own child.

Kevin (Ezra Miller) and Eva (Tilda Swinton)

Ramsay co-wrote the screenplay with her husband Rory Kinnear and they have changed the structure of the book for the screen, as well as cutting large portions of the narrative out. Had this been done to sensationalise the story or to dumb it down this would have been a travesty, but Ramsay and Kinnear have chosen to reinterpret the material, understanding that the screen simply doesn’t have the time or facilities to explore what a book can. Creating a film that is highly sensory, they have placed Eva somewhere between her memories and the present-day, giving the film a hallucinatory, dream-like quality. The constant splashes of red elude to the coming violence (which is never shown on screen) and the film’s exceptional sound design (thanks to Paul Davies) works to transport you between Eva’s states. Ramsay has always brought a unique visual style to her work, but with this film it transcends into the poetic.

Eva and Franklin (John C Reilly)

In terms of performances, Tilda Swinton has simply never been better, and the woman has been amazing in every role she’s had. Giving Eva both incredible strength and incredible vulnerability, Swinton embodies the role and all its complexities, wearing her character’s spirit like clothing. Miller is also chillingly good as Kevin, an incredibly bright and manipulative teenager. Miller’s study of the younger actors who also play Kevin (Rock Duer and Jaspar Newell) has given the character constancy in terms of mannerisms and this too is echoed in Swinton’s performance, she having also adopted some of the Kevins’ stances and facial expressions.

Eva and Kevin (Rock Duer)

We Need to Talk about Kevin has been blessed by the coming together of all the right elements, a risk-taking director, an impressive cinematographer (Seamus McGarvey) and a superb lead. The fact that Lionel Shriver has also been hugely pleased with the adaptation, talks to the film’s success. Already winning best film at the recent London Film Festival, I hope this deserving film has plenty more accolades coming its way.

We Need to Talk about Kevin is released in Australia on November 17th

Director: Lynne Ramsay

Cast: Tilda Swinton, Ezra Miller, John C. Reilly, Jaspar Newell and Rock Duer