HANNA Review

"Hanna" (2011)

Here's a film that easily could've fallen flat on its face. Director Joe Wright--who's best known for his dramatic period pieces such as "Pride and Prejudice" and Best Picture nominee "Atonement"--taking on the action genre for the first time with a young star at its center. The trailer made it look weird, like it might not pan out into something successful. It being weird remains true, but it also is a successful triumph for the director. It's very much like nothing you've seen before, the most audacious piece of cinema you'll find in theaters as of late, and it's brilliant. Maybe a bold claim, but here are some reasons to back it up.

1. It's an ingenious mash-up
Joe Wright provides us a superb combination of genres. It's an action thriller, art house fare and a twisted fairy tale fantasy all in one. Again, something that could've fallen flat on its face, but Wright and his writers--David Farr, Joe Penhall and Seth Lochhead--breathe life into a titillating premise in strange and perversely delightful ways. While holding true to Hollywood tropes of a chase thriller, Wright also breaks them down re-serving them up in unexpected and unorthodox ways.

2. There's Saoirse Ronan
This young actress who captivated us with her eyes alone in "Atonement" leading the way through the turbulent waves of emotion holds her own again up against A-list actors. Saoirse Ronan is phenomenal playing the fierce miniature warrior Hanna--just 16 years old--who's out to save her own skin. Growing up in the woods with her father, Erik (Eric Bana), she learned to fight, kill and protect herself against danger. We're introduced to her just as she has shot an arrow into a giant deer. "I just missed your heart," she whispers to the dying creature in her soft German accent.

Hanna is a mystery to us, her origins unclear even to herself. Her father used to be a covert agent, and now he knows something that makes him a wanted man in the eyes of one CIA officer, Marissa (Cate Blanchett). This woman also wants Hanna. With an albino look and quick intellect, Ronan as Hanna captivates us all over again just as she did back in 2007.

3. The action looks good and has purpose
Taking note from "Run Lola Run," Hanna partakes in a lot of fleeing and escaping given her desperate circumstances. This is going to lead to a lot of action, and not only that but action that matters. In an interview, Wright expressed his worries about directing the action sequences in the film. An unnecessary worry because the action is swift, enthralling and exquisitely shot. The entire film is visually sumptuous with stylish flourishes that heighten the already crisp and proficient filmmaking. There is one scene where Erik is tailed, which is entirely one long shot reminiscent of that infamous shot from "Atonement"--it works wonders here, too.

All the pieces of action are creative, well-implemented and are set to an electrically charged score from the Chemical Brothers. Thanks to the music, a whole new feel emerges such as when Hanna breaks out of the concrete CIA facility set to a thumping beat and flashing strobe lights. There's purpose to Hanna's plight in these moments of excitement and suspense, and through them the film even finds instances of quirky wit and poetic beauty.

4. It's both sinister and human
Cate Blanchett plays Marissa as cold and soulless, and it fits. With a severe look, sharp business attire, devilish red hair and painfully good dental hygiene, she is a clear cut villain in the story. She hires a dastardly man to help her seek out Hanna. This odd-looking man whistles what sounds like a children's nursery rhyme, but he does so in such repetition that it turns dark and menacing.

Against all this sinister energy pursuing Hanna is the humanity found in an eclectic caravanning British family she comes across during her journey. Headed by the lovely Olivia Williams, the family consists of a young girl around the same age as Hanna named Sophie (Jessica Barden). She's the first girl her age Hanna has met, and she begins to learn what it's really like to be a young carefree girl and to have a friend. This moment of grounding Hanna's life in reality really makes us feel for her; we feel bad that no matter what she does, she'll be forced back into life as a fugitive.

5. It's a Grimm fairy tale
What's best about Joe Wright's "Hanna" is how it wraps itself up as a Grimm fairy tale. Hanna's final destination takes her to meet an elder man in what looks like a shack inspired by a gingerbread house, maybe Hansel and Gretel. It's in the middle of some bizarre abandoned amusement park clouded in mist. And when Hanna and Marissa finally come face to face, Marissa emerges from the mouth of a giant wolf head as if she herself were the big bad wolf and Hanna, little red riding hood. Take that, Catherine Hardwicke.

Archive: 'Atonement'

Movie Review
Atonement (2007)


"Atonement" is certain to be the Best Picture nominee to beat. It has all the components that make Oscar voters swoon such as eloquent English people, a lush romance that is torn apart, and a backdrop of war. All of this would be a bit much if it weren't for how worthy the film happens to be. It's a movie that takes an environment and setting we think we know and turns it on its head to reveal the dark passions, lies, jealousy, and deceit that lurk beneath. The beginning of the film is so full of brightness and hope, a stark contrast to the tragedy and despair to follow at the film's end.

It's a hot, lazy day at a large English country mansion. Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) is the beautiful and bold oldest sister of a rich family. Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) is their housekeeper's (Brenda Blethyn) son, who has potential thanks to Cecilia's father. The two of them meet at a fountain outside, and Robbie, holding a family heirloom, clumsily breaks a piece off and drops it into the water. Cecilia dives in to retrieve it, and emerges in a soaking wet white gown that is now revealing her nearly naked body. Robbie stands in admiring silence as Cecilia stands before him on the edge of the fountain. From a bedroom window above, there is Cecilia's 13-year-old sister, Briony (Saoirse Ronan), who watches intently. She believes she is witnessing Robbie forcing some rude sex play on her older sister. In actuality, though, she is witnessing their first true moment of mutual love.

Briony has an active imagination as she is already writing plays, which easily allows her to dramatize what she sees. She also has a crush on Robbie, which stirs her emotions to the level of resentment. Robbie back at home sits at his typewriter trying to find the right words to express how he truly feels for Cecilia. In his frustration, he types a letter including a certain four-letter word starting with a "c" that was never supposed to or meant to be read. Robbie hand writes the real letter he intends to deliver, but accidentally picks up the wrong one, putting it into the hands of the vindictive Briony. During a dinner gathering, Robbie and Cecilia retreat to the library where they can't help but have a fit of erotic passion. Briony walks in just at the most intense moment and takes it as an act of violence. All of Briony's false perceptions lead her to accuse Robbie of the rape of her cousin, which tears him away from Cecilia for good.

These opening scenes are what set "Atonement" apart from what one may expect. The flipped perspectives shatter any feeling of it being something like a Jane Austen novel adaptation, like director Joe Wright's other film, "Pride and Prejudice," actually was. This film is a faithful adaptation of the Ian McEwan best-seller, and by the looks of the movie, it seems like the novel would be impossible to translate onto screen. And yet here it is, remarkably done.

Robbie is sent to war in France while, off-screen, a maturing Briony realizes the terrible consequences for her act as a child and tries to atone for what she did. Years pass, and the movie shifts between glimpses of the war and London before the bombing. Cecilia is a nurse in London, as is a now 18-year-old Briony (Romola Garai). There is a single, unbroken shot of Dunkirk where a dismal beach is crowded with soldiers waiting to be evacuated. A line of horses get shot because there's no food to feed them, a ferris wheel spins in the background, a choir sings, buildings are bombed-out, and troops lie in bloody messes all in one beautifully prolonged pan, which is breathtaking in its harsh surrealism of the war. And amidst this, Robbie and Cecilia continuously write each other, waiting desperately for the day they can rejoin.

Robbie, Cecilia, and Briony do have one single meeting, and Briony's grief swallows her whole. Knightley is as elegant as ever, talking with such eloquence and grace, she simply belongs in these types of roles. McAvoy officially proves himself a worthy actor with a dynamic role, presenting all the necessary nuances in expression. The real stand-out here, though, is actually Ronan and Garai, playing the two younger stages of Briony. Ronan's piercing blue eyes, especially, are haunting and enchanting.

There are many accomplishments within this movie: the acting, the writing, the direction, and a beautiful musical score by Dario Marinelli, whose percussive beats build from the continuous clacking of Briony's typewriter keys. The ending to "Atonement" will blindside you, and strike you with words containing a powerful force behind them. A now elder Briony (Vanessa Redgrave) is a retiring writer who is getting a TV interview about her last novel. Redgrave does not have to be on the screen for long; her voice reveals a lifetime of grief and remorse in an intense close-up. She poses questions about all we have seen, about betrayal, and about the true meaning of atonement.

A 'No Country' Night Among Bleak Contenders

The 80th Annual Academy Awards provided no real shockers as everybody had already predicted the outcomes going in. As expected, the Coen brothers came out on top with four wins (for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor) for their highly-acclaimed "No Country for Old Men." It was an interesting finish to a long night with Joel and Ethan lacking any eloquence in their final speech. And yet, by then, they had already been up there twice, and there was nothing left to add.

Even though "No Country for Old Men" was the front-runner of the night, it wasn't a true sweep. The Academy decided to spread the wealth as each Best Picture nominee went home with at least one win. And the movie with the second-highest total of three wins was none other than "The Bourne Ultimatum" for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Film Editing. Who saw that coming?

The first big award of the night went to Javier Bardem for Best Supporting Actor, which was memorable in that halfway through his speech, he launched into Spanish addressing his mother in the audience. While all of the Best Picture nominees were distinctly American, it was the foreigners who prevailed in terms of acting. Alongside Bardem, who was the first Spanish actor ever to win, was British actor Daniel Day-Lewis for "There Will Be Blood," French actress Marion Cotillard for "La Vie En Rose," and British supporting actress Tilda Swinton for "Michael Clayton."

Tilda Swinton's acceptance speech, as well, was particularly memorable through her poking fun at George Clooney who she claims to not find charming at all. It was also a delight to see the surprise on her face when her name was read, beating out projected winners Amy Ryan for "Gone Baby Gone" and Cate Blanchett for "I'm Not There."

As expected, Diablo Cody nabbed her win for Best Original Screenplay, and she sent her love out to the writers. Jon Stewart, too, brought up the writer's strike and was overall enjoyable a second time around as host. Also commenting on the darkness of the nominees, Stewart exclaimed, "Thank God for teen pregnancy!" About two hours into the night, it was bizarrely enough "The Bourne Ultimatum" in the lead with a third win for its rapid-fire editing, and as Stewart noted, somebody somewhere just took the lead in the Oscar pool based on a guess.

Cody's win was "Juno"'s only triumph last night, which is actually somewhat of a relief after its whirlwind of popularity. "There Will Be Blood" won its two for Robert Elswit's cinematography along with Day-Lewis. "Atonement" picked its one up for Best Original Score, and Swinton nabbing Best Supporting Actress was "Michael Clayton"'s singular win. "Ratatouille" rightfully received its win last night, as well, over "Persepolis" and "Surf's Up."

The crowd's warmest recognition went to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova for their Best Original Song win for "Falling Slowly" from "Once." And bravo to Stewart again for bringing Irglova back out on stage to give her acceptance speech as she had earlier been cut off before she even began to speak.

While the Oscars were rather widespread, there were no surprises as to what everybody considered to be the evening's big film, and it was the Coen brothers who were the clear winners of the entire night.

Also interesting to note is that this 80th telecast of the Academy Awards was one of the least watched ever. Is it because of the movies being rewarded? It very well could be. People may have simply lost interest as the only Best Picture nominee to cross the $100 million mark at the box office was Juno. So, I guess not only was the Best Picture winner bleak, but so was the turnout.

Oscar Nods '08

The nominations for the 80th Annual Academy Awards were announced early morning today, which showcase the stream of excellent movies that began last fall. It's been an absolutely amazing year for movies, and this list of nominations reflects that with so many genuinely worthy candidates competing against each other. It's hard enough to predict the winners, but now with all of the nominees being so deserving, it'll be even tougher.

Leading the pack were "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" with eight nominations each. "Michael Clayton" and "Atonement" came next with seven, followed by "Juno" and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" with four. Last were "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" and "La Vie En Rose" with three, and "American Gangster," "Into the Wild," and "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" each with two.

As expected, Best Actor nominations went to George Clooney for "Michael Clayton" and Daniel Day-Lewis for "There Will Be Blood" with one of them most likely receiving the win. I was happy to see nominations for Johnny Depp and Viggo Mortensen beside the two front-runners for their work in "Sweeney Todd" and "Eastern Promises," respectively. Most of all, though, I was thrilled that Tommy Lee Jones finally got recognized for one of his two deeply moving performances last year. The Academy awarded him with a nomination for his work in "In the Valley of Elah."

In Best Supporting Actor, Casey Affleck got nominated for his breakthrough in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" and Hal Holbrook was nominated for "Into the Wild." Tom Wilkinson received a nod for "Michael Clayton," and Philip Seymour Hoffman, of his three movies last year, received his nomination for "Charlie Wilson's War," as expected. The probable winner of this group, though, is Javier Bardem for his haunting serial killer in "No Country for Old Men."

Cate Blanchett received two nominations, one in Best Actress for "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" and the other in Best Supporting Actress for playing Bob Dylan in "I'm Not There." From a queen to a singing legend? That's quite a range. Beside Blanchett was Julie Christie for "Away from Her," Marion Cotillard for "La Vie En Rose," and Ellen Page for "Juno." Although Ellen Page is the obvious crowd favorite, the award could very well go to Julie Christie or Marion Cotillard instead. The delightful surprise for me was Laura Linney's nomination for "The Savages." She deserves the nomination so much, and I thought for sure she was going to be overlooked. Angelina Jolie for "A Mighty Heart" is conspicuously absent from this category, and I'm thinking that Laura Linney might've slipped out from under her and took the spot.

Aside from Cate Blanchett in Best Supporting Actress, there was the surprise of veteran Ruby Dee for "American Gangster." She was alongside Amy Ryan for "Gone Baby Gone," Tilda Swinton for "Michael Clayton," and the young Saoirse Ronan for "Atonement." It's surprising that Vanessa Redgrave didn't obtain a nomination for "Atonement," as well, but I suppose two supporting ladies from that movie would've been a bit much.

"Ratatouille" got its well-deserved nomination in Best Animated Film, which will most likely result in a win. It has a strong chance against "Surf's Up," which beat out the likes of "Bee Movie" and "Beowulf" for the third slot. Filling the second slot was "Persepolis" as it originally got denied a spot in Best Foreign Film.

In Best Cinematography, it's curious to note that Roger Deakins got nominated for his work in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" along with "No Country for Old Men." Beside that are nominations for the work in "Atonement," "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," and "There Will Be Blood." While all had superb cinematography, Deakins' latter work should be taking the prize.

The artist Julian Schnabel did indeed end up getting nominated for "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," alongside Jason Reitman for "Juno," Tony Gilroy for "Michael Clayton," Paul Thomas Anderson for "There Will Be Blood," and Joel and Ethan Cohen for "No Country for Old Men" in the category of Best Director. It's surprising that the lesser known Schnabel got nominated over Joe Wright for "Atonement" and Sean Penn for "Into the Wild." Out of the nominees, the brotherly directing duo should definitely win.

Best Documentary nominees were "No End in Sight," "Operation Homecoming," Michael Moore's "Sicko," "A Taxi to the Dark Side," and "War/Dance" with "Sicko" or "No End in Sight" most probable to win. Of the nominations, three of them focused on the conflict in Iraq.

Best Foreign Language Film sure was a shock. The nominees came from Israel, Austria, Poland, Kazakhstan, and Russia, and I haven't heard of any of them. My question is why not the Romanian "4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days"?

Strange to me was the fact that Johnny Greenwood's score from "There Will Be Blood" wasn't nominated for Best Original Score. There is, however, the scores from"Atonement," "The Kite Runner," "Michael Clayton," "Ratatouille," and "3:10 to Yuma" with "Atonement" being the probable winner.

"Once" got one recognition in the category of Best Original Song for its song "Falling Slowly." "Enchanted" gathered its three nominations in this one category, leaving Amy Adams hanging.

The big story behind Diablo Cody probably makes her the front-runner for Best Original Screenplay with "Juno." Other nominees include Nancy Oliver for the under appreciated "Lars and the Real Girl" and Tony Gilroy for "Michael Clayton." I was pleasantly surprised to see Tamara Jenkins for "The Savages," and it's remarkable for any animated film to get nominated for its screenplay, but Brad Bird snagged a nomination for "Ratatouille."

The category of Adapted Screenplay contains Sarah Polley for "Away from Her," Ronald Harwood for "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," but most notable are the heavy-hitters Joel and Ethan Cohen for "No Country for Old Men," Christopher Hampton for "Atonement," and Paul Thomas Anderson for "There Will Be Blood."

And lastly, the nominees for Best Picture contained no real surprises, and I actually predicted them correctly last night: "Atonement," "Juno," "Michael Clayton", "No Country for Old Men," and "There Will Be Blood." It's usually the case that whichever movie wins Best Editing ends up winning Best Picture, so it's worth noting that "Juno," "Michael Clayton," and "Atonement" are missing. Does this leave the soul-lost oil tycoon to compete against the creepy killer? Or does "Juno" really have enough praise and popularity to be this year's potential upset? My bet is still on "No Country for Old Men" to win, but we'll have to wait and see in about a month from now.