*A Disturbing, disorienting thriller,”We Need To Talk About Kevin”  leaves a lasting impression.

[rating=4]

“We Need To Talk About Kevin”, based on the novel by Lionel Shriver, has a sense of unease and dread that keeps you unsettled from the first to last frame.

Tilda Swinton plays Eva Khatchadourian, mother to Kevin, an adolescent involved in a killing spree at his high school. Shot in a nonlinear fashion, the film centers around  Eva’s recollection of the incident and relationship to her child, with her trying to piece together the puzzle as to what drove him to violence.

Through flashbacks, we learn Eva was uneasy with motherhood. Whereas her husband Franklin, ( played by John C Reilly) has a natural affinity for parenting, she feels her bohemian, wandering nature is on lockdown. She’s emotionally distant from her child, lacking natural maternal instinct. As an infant, he cries constantly in her presence, yet immediately brightens when Father arrives home. This pendulum continues as Kevin ages. He drives her to duress with his spitefulness, but can do no wrong in his father’s eyes. This disconnect begins to fracture their marriage, pitting husband and wife against each other.

Present day Eva has become the modern equivalent of the town witch, a pariah blamed and ostracized for her malignant offspring. She seems accepting of this, letting herself be punished for her son’s crimes. She’s martyring herself due to guilt; was her lack of connection to her son the catalyst for his act, or was he simply damaged goods at conception?

It is this question the film examines, knowing full well there’s no definitive answer. The cocktail of genetics, upbringing and social interaction remains a frustratingly inexact science.

Swinton’s performance is a standout, and her androgynous, alien demeanor is perfect for her portrayal of a woman at odds with motherhood, and truly out of her depth with a child she cannot comprehend or defend. Her distress is palpable and despite her detachment, she builds an empathetic portrayal; a true testament to her acting skills.

Kevin is played by three different actors, through various stages of development. Jasper Newell plays the prepubescent child with defiant menace, punctuated by brief moments of tenderness. His performance is the strongest, but Ezra Miller as the adolescent Kevin, is competently unsettling.

When Eva and Franklin are at their breaking point over Kevin (she believes he’s a menace, Franklin think’s she’s overreacting) they catch their son eavesdropping. Trying to contain the situation, Franklin reassures;  “Listen buddy, it’s easy to misunderstand something when you hear it out of context.” But Kevin knows better;  “Why would I not understand the context? I am the context.”  Kevin’s shrewd deduction that at his core, he’s a broken, cruel creature, further seals his fate.

The conclusion to this film is jarring. While we know from the start of Kevin’s ghastly act, the climax reveals it has even broader implications, leading to a heartbreaking finale.

The film straddles the line between psychological drama and artsy horror, hitting a novel combination of the two. Director Lynne Ramsay has a clinical, diffuse tone, staying away from the obvious genre clichés while still delivering a disturbing, riveting vision. The cinematography by Seamus McGarvey and editing by Joe Bini, all helps to weave a web of menace and disquiet that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

“We Need To Talk About Kevin” is Rated R  from BBC films, and is now available on Blu-ray and streaming from Amazon, or can be rented on disc from Netflix.

[amazon_image id=”B007C3TVEY” link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]We Need to Talk About Kevin [Blu-ray][/amazon_image]

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