"They never talked about Kevin"
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| Kevin uses extraordinary visual motifs, colour red being the main motif |
Mothers are always known to love their child - no-matter how cruel, narcissist or self-centred the child is. They always shower love and care. But what if, a mother doesn't loves her child? What if, she puts on a façade that she cares when both the child and herself know that they don't really care? And what if, the child turns out to be a monster later on? Is it her fault - her husband's or both? Or its just a mere example of "bad seed"? It is nature or nurture?
Based on the novel by Lionel Shriver, director Lynne Ramsay's adaptation is an extraordinary piece of film-making, reflecting a disturbing theme in a darkest fashion. The film is about the state of mind of a mother Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton), whose son Kevin (played by Jasper Newell as young Kevin and Ezra Miller as teenager) has become increasingly erratic and menacing as he grew up. Presented in a non-linear fashion, the film starts with the aftermath of a deeply troubling tragedy which has made headlines on the national television - which is directly linked to Eva and her son. The film goes back and forth, ultimately concluding in a tragedy which is hinted at the start.
Wonderfully written by Ramsay and Rory Stewart Kinnear, there isn't much of dialogue in the film. Most of the narrative is showcased by unspoken actions and expressions. The script smartly avoids creating black and white characters - even Kevin is so-called antagonist, Ramsay doesn't presents him as a unidimensional villain. Though the film's title is directed at a certain discussion regarding
Kevin's behaviour, which probably could've involved both Eva and her
husband (John C. Reilley), they never really talked about Kevin - at least in a
constructive manner - which is the irony. The film never answers the
real motives of Kevin - nor it divulges in the curiosity for its search.
It focuses on the effect - not the intentions.
Kevin is one of the rare films which relies heavily on images. The film features repeated use of the colour red - the starting sequence of tomato festival where Eva is all drenched in thick red tomato pulp, Eva's cottage bombarded with red colour-bombs or even the blood-red jam that Kevin spreads too much on his bread. Needless to say, red is the colour of blood which is foreshadowed in every second frame of the film. Using off-focus shots, bleak colour palette and extreme close-ups (one particular shot in extreme close up of Kevin's eye shows a dart-board), cinematographer Seamus McGarvey has achieved a monumental success, evoking narrative motifs entirely through visuals and blurring the line between reality and surreal nightmare. As a matter of fact, pictures do speak louder than words.
Since the script doesn't has much dialogues, it provides an ample opportunity for actors to shine. And every single one of them shines. Starting with the actress giving the most affecting performance of her career - Tilda Swinton- she lives Eva deep down under her skin. Her acting heavily depends on her facial expressions - which she gets right on target - showing utter helplessness, annoyance or regret during the entire course of the film. Another performance worth mentioning is the chilling portrayal of teenage Kevin by Ezra Miller - even though Kevin is meant to be Devil's equivalent, near the end you feel do sorry for him - a trick which Miller has done effortlessly.
We Need To Talk About Kevin is an achievement of direction, acting, cinematography and sound. Meditating on a deeply disturbing theme, the film leaves a great impact - which should be credited to flawless use of imagery and brilliance of its actors. Even though it unfolds at a leisurely pace, Ramsay's work is rare, which combines the ethics and vision of an art-house motion picture and zeal of a mainstream film.
4/5
