We Need to Talk About Kevin
2011
****
Director: Lynne Ramsey
Cast: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller, Jasper Newell, Ashley Gerasimovich, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Alex Manette
Kevin looks to have been born evil. Growing up, the boy treats his dad with kindness but seems to take pleasure in making his mom suffer. Kevin's final act of cruelty reveals his true nature. This harrowing drama unfolds in intriguing flashbacks, as Eva, now a human wreck consumed by guilt and shame, looks back and attempts to understand if there was anything she could have done differently with her son. As the story focuses almost purely on Kevin and his mother, the successive scenes of emotional violence become exhausting, and Eva's lonely struggle against her son doesn't feel entirely believable. Nevertheless, these minor gripes aside, this is a very captivating film which rather disturbingly suggests that mother's love is an overrated commodity. Tilda Swinton gives a towering performance in the lead. Adapted from Lionel Shriver's novel, which described the events in the form of letters.
