We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) - ★★★★

Director: Lynne Ramsay
Writers: Lynne Ramsay, Rory Kinnear (Screenplay), Lionel Shriver (Novel)
Stars: Tilda Swinton, Ezra Miller, John C. Reilly, Jasper Newell, Ashley Gerasimovich

We Need To Talk About Kevin is the depressing, frustrating, and realistic portrayal of a mother whose son is a sociopath. I found the story to be very interesting, mainly because I have known people like Kevin growing up. This is a movie everyone should see before they race into having kids. I love the way it shows that you can't always blame the parents for the way their kids turn out. In the end, I was not only sad, but in awe of this movie. The whole way through I was either furious or depressed, which is an accomplishment in itself because most films these days can't even make me sad.

Eva (Tilda Swinton), is a successful novelist and traveler who is married to a quiet man named Franklin (John C. Reilly). They have a young boy called Kevin (Ezra Miller). He disobeys his mother, looks at her with hatred and doesn't care for anyone's feelings but his own. Kevin puts his mother through hell for reasons he can't even explain. All the while, he deceives his father into thinking he's an honorable and wonderful person. Yes, this story is incredibly frustrating, but always interesting.

The hatred is strong with these two...

One thing that many people like to do is ask "Why?" Why would Kevin go to such lengths to hurt his mother? You can't answer that really. There's no reasoning behind his actions, it's just something he likes to do. It's a depressing story that feels so real, mostly because of the masterful performances by Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller. 

I think the reason I like this movie so much is because I grew up with a person like Kevin. There were moments that I said "I know how that feels." The situation in this film seemed hopeless, which is exactly how it is in reality. I felt for the mother deeply because she really tried to help her son become a normal person. Even at the end of the film, her love for him was too much to just let him go. This film makes you want to go in there and shake the characters! It made me want to go in and tell them what to do and how to do it. This movie got me really angry. I'm just thankful that I felt so strongly about it.

Some things in this film bugged me. I hated having to wait a long time to get explanations, like why the townspeople were so horrible to the mother... I feel like they could have made this film a lot clearer, instead of jumbling up the flashbacks and realities to show that the mother was thinking about the past. Also, I wasn't a big fan of the theme music, which sometimes sounded like a B-Grade thriller movie. With all that in mind, none of it really detracted from the story and the characters.

Tilda Swinton proves to be one of the greatest actresses in recent years.

The strongest point of the film is how effectively the characters are displayed. Tilda Swinton showed such fragility in this performance that I just wanted to cry with her. This woman's whole life is turned upside down and people treat her like she's scum... Swinton just made it all the more heart-wrenching. She should have been nominated for Best Actress. As for Ezra Miller, now there's a star! He's on his way up in Hollywood. His performance was unbelievably brilliant. The piercing looks of hatred, the way he'd manipulate and lie... it's hard for me to imagine someone else playing the role as good as him.

Personal experiences led me to see the true genius behind the movie. It's gritty, realistic, and powerfully emotional. If ever there was a movie to describe a sociopath, it would be this one. We Need To Talk About Kevin is certainly something different. It's not an enjoyable film, that's for sure. However, I liked it for its honesty and masterful performances.

I see a bright future ahead for Ezra Miller.