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We Need to Talk About Kevin
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - America - Oscilloscope Laboratories Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (13th June 2012). |
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The Film
 I have no direct knowledge of this myself, but I would think that – other than losing a child –the worst pain a parent can endure is having one that they never connect with. A child that they provide for in every conceivable way, yet there is nothing shared between the two other than blood and a dwelling. Rather than enjoying a warm, reciprocal (well, as reciprocal as kids can be) relationship with this offspring, the parent feels as though they are raising a hostile; someone who reviles instead of loves. Parents have the innate need to bond with their children, to love them unconditionally, and this can be a difficult task if the child makes it so. It can be even worse if the kid turns out to be a devilish, manipulative little bastard who makes your life a living hell of torment while operating under the guise of a normal kid in everyone else’s eyes. And it gets even worse if he turns out to be a sociopath with no regard for life – his own, or anyone else’s. That’s the grim situation facing Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton) in “We Need To Talk About Kevin” (2011), a film based on Lionel Shriver’s 2003 novel of the same name. As a newborn, Kevin spent all his waking hours with Eva crying endlessly (she finds jackhammering to be a welcomed escape from his cries, if that tells you anything), to the point where she would collapse and nap any chance she got once he finally passed out. Kevin becomes increasingly detached from Eva as he grows older, but he puts on a happy face for his father, Franklin (John C. Reilly), and pretends like everything is alright. But Eva knows there is something wrong with how Kevin is developing, especially once she gives birth to his sister, Celia (Ashley Gerasimovich). Strange accidents befall Celia as a child, and despite her warnings that Kevin is somehow behind all of it, Franklin just can’t see it. Kevin continues to evolve in disturbing ways, eventually culminating in an act of terror so brutal and fiendish that it completely changes everyone’s lives. The film is told in a non-linear fashion, from Eva’s point of view, as we’re offered glimpses of her painful reality. From the beginning, it’s immediately apparent that Eva is living alone, her life having been shattered by an event orchestrated by Kevin, who is now locked up behind bars. Let’s be clear of one thing right away: this film lives and dies by Swinton’s exhilarating and exhaustive performance. It’s a crime that she wasn’t nominated for an Oscar because the pathos the film conveys is a direct result of her ability to make the audience empathize with her character. Her current existence when we’re introduced to her showcases a difficult life; her face tells us all we need to know. This is a woman who has lost all sense of ego, of pride, and she now exists as a husk. Her memories are bright and vivid, though, and the glimpses into the past we’re given reveal a mother who has tried desperately to form a bond with her son. Instead of growing closer, however, he rejects her advances, seeing them as disingenuous. Once, in a fit of rage, Eva breaks Kevin’s arm, something he later tells her was “the only honest thing” she’d ever done. Eva is an interesting woman because we learn early on that she is a free spirit, well-traveled, and a writer; she is far from stupid. Yet, she continually tries to placate Kevin by any means necessary; she tries to be the “good parent” who shows that she cares when she should be trying to treat him in a manner commensurate with how he acts. Speaking of our titular antagonist, Kevin is played by three extraordinary actors who not only look like iterations of the character, but each perfectly captures his brooding, stoic personality. Infant Kevin is played by Rock Duer, and I have to say that I haven’t seen a toddler give a performance this chilling since “The Omen” (1976). It isn’t in anything he says (since he doesn’t even speak), but his demeanor suggests something sinister is brewing just under the hood, waiting to grow and unleash itself upon the family. Kevin from ages 6-8 is played by Jasper Newell, and, boy, is this kid a little shit. Not only does he do everything in his power to undermine any possible authority that Eva has, but he exhibits signs of manipulating his father for his own benefit, especially after the arm-breaking incident. But the mask of sanity fully slips off once Kevin hits his teens, played here by Ezra Miller. Though he’s only 15 years old, it’s clear that this Kevin has a total sense of detachment from reality. He’s a total nihilist, devoid of emotion and tired of the charade that is life. There’s no evidence of him being bullied at school, no horrible, life-changing event to incite him to madness – one day, he just grows tired of it all and snaps. I don’t recall the last time that a film had such a profound impact on me. I can understand some of the criticisms that Kevin’s actions and personality are so comically villainous that it’s difficult to accept him as an actual person, but I don’t see that as being such a stretch. People like Kevin do exist out there, and it isn’t hard to believe in these times that his actions are impossible. I do agree that the parental dynamic was uneven, with Franklin never believing that Kevin could be responsible for the wicked acts Eva is convinced he’s behind. In reality, when that many incidents occur, and one parent has a clear idea of the culprit, more dialogue would have taken place to examine their issues further. Instead, Franklin is portrayed as the father who just wants the perfect nuclear family, and he’s either too stupid to see the writing on the wall, or he prefers the bliss of ignorance. Still, it’s Eva’s life after Kevin’s actions that struck the loudest chord with me. Her life is a mess. Something as simple as going to the grocery store becomes a walking nightmare, as Eva is fearful she’ll run into someone whose life was destroyed due to her son’s actions. I don’t quite understand why she didn’t just move away since a normal life is clearly not possible in her town anymore. I was reminded of “Requiem For a Dream” (2000) in some ways since things start off looking bad for Eva’s, and as the story continues to unfold her situation seems much, much worse. Once the ending comes, and we see the full extent of Kevin’s madness, it produces one of those “holy shit” moments where you lose focus on the film temporarily because you’re still processing what your brain just saw. I’m not familiar with director Lynne Ramsay’s work, but from what I’ve heard that’s something I should remedy. Her style of direction works wonders for a film like this where a wealth of information (and implication) is required to move the story along without spending an inordinate amount of time dwelling on events. Kevin is a growing boy with problems, and the film has to cover a lot of ground to sow the seeds for his eventual acts. In doing so, many of his actions are only hinted at, or glimpsed, but together they form a cohesive story to be taken as a strong background for his mental state. I never felt the film rushed past things that needed more time to breathe. The device of having the film told through Eva’s flashbacks allows it to deftly move through time and space without disrupting the narrative. I wish I’d seen this film in theaters last year, because it certainly would have restructured my list of the year’s best.
Video
Oscilloscope has yet to let me down with a bad transfer for one of their features, and there’s no exception to be made for this one. The film sports a 2.35:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded image that impresses right from the opening frames bathed in hues of red, filmed during the “La Tomatina” festival in Barcelona, Spain. Knowing the subject matter of the film, the viscous pools of pureed bright red tomatoes bathing the streets seem more ominous than they might otherwise. The image looks very pure, unfiltered. There are no obvious signs of digital manipulation – no DNR, edge enhancement, or post-production deficiencies. Lighting and color play a large role in the progression of the film, and as a result we’re treated to many beautiful shots that are bathed in specific hues. Every scene is very crisp; the images are sharp and defined. When a picture is presented this clean and unprocessed, it allows for a much greater depth of field and a clearer image. As a result, the level of fine detail that is present really impresses. I’m not saying this is going to become your new reference disc (and even if it was, this isn’t the film to pop in and show off your system), but it is a lifelike image that sucks you right into the screen.
Audio
I expected the film’s English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound track mixed at 48kHz/24-bit to be a more subtle affair than what it turned out to be. There is a very active sound design at work here, and it does a fantastic job of conveying Eva’s deteriorating, fragile mental state. Rear speakers are very active, nagging viewers with repetitive sounds and the occasional annoying song to put you into Eva’s POV. The score is primarily made up of old classics from the 50's, some of which tend to downright grind on your nerves, while others manage to calm the mood. I love how some sounds were layered in so seamlessly, such as when Eva gets a brief respite from Kevin’s crying thanks to the sound of a nearby jackhammer. The sound is presented in such a way that it sounds like you’re right there pushing her wailing baby, and when that pummeling jackhammer starts to enter the field your ears are diligently waiting for it to overtake the infant’s cries. There are also plenty of unsettling sounds that I found very effective, such as the crunching of the garbage disposal in one scene, and the “thwack” when Kevin released an arrow. Sound design aside, all dialogue is clear and easily discernible. Even small, tender moments are delivered with great clarity. An English linear PCM 2.0 stereo track is also included. Subtitles are available in English for the hearing impaired.
Extras
“We Need To Talk About Kevin” arrives on Blu-ray and DVD from Oscilloscope as spine #43 in their ongoing collection. This package is a 2-disc set containing both the Blu-ray and DVD, each containing the same supplemental features. It would have been nice to get a few more extras here – especially an audio commentary, maybe some deleted footage – but there’s a healthy amount of material presented that I can cut some slack. DISC ONE: BLU-RAY “Behind the Scenes of Kevin” (1080p) is a featurette that runs for 27 minutes and 5 seconds. This cast & crew interview piece covers all the expected bases, but the responses are excellent all around. Everyone has something insightful and intelligent to add about their character, the process of making the film, and how they view the story. This is the second best thing to having a commentary track, so I highly recommend it if you’ve finished the film and want to know more. “Extra Footage from “La Tomatina” Tomato Festival” (1080p) runs for 4 minutes and 15 seconds. This is some raw footage, presented with no sound, of the opening scenes featuring Eva out seeing the world. “In Conversation with Tilda Swinton” (1080p) featurette runs for 11 minutes and 51 seconds. The actress participates in a Q&A session at the 2011 Telluride Film Festival answering questions about her career. “Interview with Lionel Shriver” (1080p) featurette runs for 3 minutes and 51 seconds. Lionel isn’t a guy? Go figure. The author explains why she decided to write the book and discusses some of her influences in doing so. The film’s theatrical trailer (1080p) runs for 1 minute and 45 seconds. Bonus trailers (1080p) are included for the following Oscilloscope releases: - “Kisses” runs for 1 minute and 48 seconds. - “Exit Through the Gift Shop” runs for 1 minute and 17 seconds. - “Bellflower” runs for 2 minutes. - “Rebirth” runs for 2 minutes and 27 seconds. DISC TWO: DVD The DVD copy contains the same bonus features as the Blu-ray.
Packaging
As per usual, the film comes housed in Oscilloscope’s recycled cardboard digipack-style casing. The inner sleeve contains an essay by psychoanalyst Mark Stafford. There are numerous drawings and pictures adorning each panel, reminding you that few companies put as much care into the presentation of their films for home video as these guys do.
Overall
I had heard some rumblings from friends about what to expect from this film, but I don’t think they conveyed just how emotionally devastating of an experience it is. You might hear a line or two about the film’s main event, but it’s really just a byproduct of what the film’s spends the entire runtime building up to. It’s not a movie you’ll be eager to revisit many times, but it’s something that gives you pause, makes you think a little. Swinton’s performance alone makes this worth watching and, thankfully, everyone else is on their game, too.
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