Film

We need to talk about Kevin

When I first watched ‘We need to talk about Kevin’ it immediately reminded me of recent events. In July news broke of a gunman who entered an Aurora cinema and killed 12 people in a shower of bullets.  The news reporters gasped and the world looked on as details emerged of the incident and the man. As this unfortunately, seems to be a reoccurring part of American culture, one must wonder what kind of person could do such a thing.

We need to talk about Kevin tackles just that.

Based on a 2003 novel by Lionel Shriver, We need talk to about Kevin was released in 2011. It is directed by Lynne Ramsay and stars Tilda Swinton , John C Reilly and Ezra Miller . It shows the difficult relationship that Eva Khatchadourian, the mother (played by Swinton) has with her son Kevin (Miller) from birth to adulthood. Throughout the film Eva struggles with a spectrum of emotions and takes you along with her.

we need to talk about kevin

It is portrayed through the eyes of the mother where her life as a successful writer was joyful and free to after when Kevin was born. Throughout the film she comes to terms with the torment her son has inflicted upon her family and people around. The film skips from present to past and takes you deeper into Eva’s life.

Kevin’s behaviour throughout this film is one to shock and ignite your emotions. He seems to carry a split personality from birth and his aim in life is to torment his mother. You get the impression Eva resented having Kevin and he has picked up on this from birth resulting in his erratic and vicious behaviour. His father (Reilly) puts this behaviour down to being a typical boy. Later, this will come back to haunt him.

Kevin’s intelligence knows no boundaries. He chooses to use it in another way which ultimately leads to him locking students in the auditorium and him using his bow and arrow in a horrific massacre.

The revelation at the end of the film is well worth the wait and the events that take place are something no one could imagine.

The irony of We need to talk about Kevin is that they never do.

At the end of film I thought of these incidents that happen in America frequently. This film tackles that and the aftermath families have to deal with struggling with guilt and responsibility.

 

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