Dir: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Tilda
Swinton, Ezra Miller, John C. Reilly
Lynne Ramsay tackles Lionel
Shriver’s award winning novel. Eva (Tilda Swinton) is a happy travel writer
living in the city with her husband Franklin (John C. Reilly). When she becomes
pregnant with Kevin (Jasper Newell as the child Kevin and Ezra Miller and the
teenage Kevin) she exchanges her life for parenthood. However, Kevin does not
turn out to be the angelic child that all parents want and we see the fallout
that he causes.
The
film is in essence a horror film with Kevin as the evil child. However, the
film places itself in the real world so rather than Kevin being possessed by a
demon, it poses the question of nature versus nurture. Did Kevin turn out the
way he did because of his upbringing and the environment around him or was he
born this way, inevitably heading towards a terrible act? As we see it through
Eva’s eyes, our view of Kevin is tainted as him being evil, a problem from
birth. However, we also see connections between Kevin and Eva, the
juxtaposition of their faces above a sink of water, Kevin and Eva lining up
chewed nails and egg shell along a table. When Kevin accuses Eva of being harsh
and she turns it back on him he asks her ‘I wonder where I got it from’, placing
the blame on her. The film gives us evidence to suggest that it has been Eva’s
negative influence on Kevin that has made him turn out this way, a product of
his environment. Kevin’s reason for his actions even puts blame on society as
he says that he did it for the notoriety, because everyone watching television
are watching people like him. The film toys with both ideas, never really
giving an answer either way.
The
films horror lies in the fear of parenthood. It plays with the worry of every
parent that their child will be horrible, that they will end up hating them and
will have nothing in common. As Kevin grows and Franklin bonds with Kevin, Eva
is made more isolated from the family unit. When the second child, Celia, comes
along it seems that the family would be perfect were it not for Kevin. Kevin
ruins Eva’s life, from her having to give up her job and her life in the city
she loves, to being a housewife living in the suburbs and eventually the loss of
her marriage. Kevin not only takes her family but also her life from Eva as she
is forced to live a hated and hollow life after Kevin’s actions, fearful of
those around her and vilified for her connection to him. Eva is placed with the
blame; Kevin’s actions were her fault. She is tied to her child for life; his
actions are directly linked to her. Kevin is the child as the ultimate STD. At
the end of the film we see Kevin finally
scared as he is being moved to adult prison and Eva and Kevin hug and it is in
this moment we see a connection between them, mother comforting her son because
despite all that Kevin has done, he is still her child.
Adaptations of well known and
loved novels can often be seen as problematic and a disservice to the original
source material. Lynne Ramsey handles what could have been a difficult adaption
with skill, transferring the important themes of the novel effectively into the
film. The film obviously has to miss out
a lot of parts from the book so that it can fit into a film running time but
there are some parts which feel like they have been stuck in because they were
part of the book but not elaborated on. For example Kevin’s masturbation with
the door open is seen as a taunting attack on Eva in the book but in the film
it just seems like an odd aside. However, these do not adversely affect the
film, perhaps just sticking out as odd to anyone who has not read the book.
Tilda
Swinton plays Eva well, conveying her fear, loathing and guilt effectively. Her
gaunt face shows the tiredness and the weight that is placed on her during
motherhood and because of Kevin. Ezra Miller, previously seen in the television
series Californication, is a
revelation as Kevin, menacing and horrible yet eventually letting us see a
human side. The only problem is the casting of John C. Reilly against type from
his more well known comic roles. He never really fits into the role as he
should, awkwardly sticking out in a dramatic role.
We need to talk about Kevin is a
confident and well executed novel adaptation conveying the ultimate fear of
parenthood with a memorable turn from newcomer Ezra Miller. It may put you off
having kids for life.
4 out of 5 Buttons
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