Blu Review: We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
Cast: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller
Director: Lynne Ramsey
Country: UK | USA
Genre: Drama | Thriller | Horror
Official Trailer: Here
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Editor’s Notes: We Need to Talk About Kevin was released on blu ray and DVD May 29th.
We Need to Talk About Kevin isn’t as much a film as it is a stream of consciousness. Presented in an entirely non-linear structure and forgoing traditional storytelling, one might think Gaspar Noe directed it. Instead, Lynne Ramsay has brought the now famous best-selling novel to the screen, and if this movie is any indication, she is filmmaking force to be reckoned with. This isn’t just a literary adaptation; it’s a cinematic tour-de-force of the most chilling kind, propelled by extraordinary performances from three young men and career-best work from the great Tilda Swinton.
This isn’t just a literary adaptation; it’s a cinematic tour-de-force of the most chilling kind, propelled by extraordinary performances from three young men and career-best work from the great Tilda Swinton.
The film follows a basic premise of nature vs. nurture, tracing the life of a mother who has, as far as she’s concerned, has given birth to the anti-Christ. Her son, Kevin, is a monster, but was he born that way or is she such a bad mother that his clear-as-day hatred of her was born out of her own resentment of him? She clearly harbors feelings of that sort for having given up on her dreams of being a world-traveler in order to start a family and settle down.
The film is really hard to describe in words because it’s more of an experience than anything. We’re treated to a swirling, dizzying array of imagery and character interactions, all seen through the prism of Eva’s mind. She’s a prisoner of her own memories and experiences, as she tries to understand where she went wrong in Kevin’s upbringing. The results are some of the most nightmarish and disturbing collages of a life gone horribly wrong. Make no mistake, We Need to Talk About Kevin is a horror film, conventional storytelling or not, and easily the most effective one of 2011. Hopefully the film gains an audience in the future and creates even more water-cooler talk than the book already has.
Lynne Ramsay’s film arrives on blu-ray with an impressive high-definition transfer. Grain structure remains in tact, and colors a bright and vivid on the screen. In a film that relies so much on key colors to convey symbolic imagery, especially colors like red, it was crucial that the home video representation of the film remain true to that notion, and it really does. Some scenes look a little soft in levels of pure detail but it’s never so distracting that it takes away from the image on screen.
The audio on the blu-ray is equally impressive, getting every bit of ambient droning and sharp, crisp sound design through the channels perfectly. During the nearly incoherent memories we experience, the sounds are perfectly muted to give us just the right sense of disorientation. In other scenes, every sound is clear and accentuated, down to the grotesque sounds of Kevin chewing off his fingernails during Eva’s prison visits.
Extras
First off, a note on the packaging: Oscilloscope Laboratories has given us two options with which to purchase this film on blu-ray. The first comes housed in their usual cardboard slipbox/digipak casing, made of fully recycled materials and naturally is 100% recyclable. The inside cover of the digipak contains an essay on the film by psychoanalyst Mark Stafford. This edition also contains a DVD copy of the film.
The second option is the single-disc blu-ray edition that appears to be exclusive to retail stores like Best Buy. This edition features different cover art, and is housed in a traditional amaray blu-ray case.
Aside from the different packaging, the supplements on the blu-ray disc remain the same across the two editions.
First off is “Behind the Scenes of Kevin”, a 27-minute series of interviews with the film’s cast and crew that offer some fascinating insight into the making of the film. No fluff here, everyone offers intelligent and thoughtful reflection on the film’s visual design and heavy thematic elements.
Next is “Extra Footage from ‘La Tomatina’ Tomato Festival”. Running at just over 4 minutes, this feature is just extra raw footage of Eva at the Tomato Festival that is prominently featured in the film’s flashbacks. The disc also includes an 18-minute Q&A session with Tilda Swinton from Telluride Film Festival, moderated by Hilton Als, and a four-minute interview with the novel’s author at the film’s London premiere. Both are quite interesting pieces that offer even more insight into the process of adapting the book and the process of making it. Lastly, there are trailers for the film itself, as well as several other Oscilloscope Labs films.
We Need to Talk About Kevin is a masterfully made film that simply exists in a realm of its own. Between the stunning direction, exquisite script, and powerhouse performances, it will stay with you for quite some time, leaving you shaken to your very core. The blu-ray edition does not disappoint, featuring stellar picture and sound with a supplemental package that is a cut above many others. It’s highly recommended that you also purchase the two-disc edition, just for the added value of the classy packaging and critical essay by Mark Stafford. This release receives my highest recommendation.
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