Admittedly, I would have gone to see
Hanna just to watch Cate Blanchett do her thing. But then I saw the trailer and a tonne more reasons materialized. It's a good trailer.
Well I'm happy to report that the film is indeed a very good one, a unique one, a stylish one. It unfortunately feels like a sequel to a non-existent film that I'm not sure I wish existed. There's a lot of back-story that we as the audience are teased with incessantly; Blanchett's CIA agent burns important classified files, shoots people who know the details of the resurfaced plot right through the head, listens to snippets of dusty cassette tapes on camera for just enough time to make us salivate, etc. It's one great big tease for the entirety of the film. And when we do get some idea of what went down a little more than a decade prior to the goings on in this film? It's really not that fascinating. In fact, I found it all a bit cliche. Suffice it to say, that the upcoming
Captain America film should be the only and last film to delve into the subject since it probably started the whole thing in print more than a generation ago, allowing it to become practically a sub-genre all its own.
When someone uses the words "super soldiers" in film these days I very nearly cringe.
Apart from that disappointment, I thoroughly loved this movie. Blanchett was wicked on multiple levels, thriving on the secrets of her character and on the rare chance to be villainous. Her lip-quivers, at every attempt to rein in emotion, just gave me goosebumps. Young Ronan, who plays the titular character, simply surpasses herself and seemingly goes beyond the requirements of any actress in terms of physicality and daring. Bana too, did a fine job although his character had the unfortunate task of revealing the aforementioned "experimentation", making me like him a bit less, albeit unfairly. Who I really loved, were many of the super-creepy, supporting characters. And when I say creepy, I mean creepy, like borderline Lynchian creepy. And there's a bunch of them scattered throughout the film. Like bugs in the underbrush of Baba Yaga's forest.
Which brings me to one of the two things people are going to go on about after watching this film: the fairy tale imagery. At times it's very subtle and at other times it's very in your face. It's definitely not something you're going to miss so you'll be faced with the decision to either love it or hate it when pondering whether or not the movie works for you. And in my case, I loved it. Princess, evil step-mother with mirror, fearless woodsman turned to fearless knight, cottages in dark forests, wolves, and henchmen, among others. Thrown together into a contemporary setting where the only rule is break as many necks as you can to stay alive.
All supported by the most incredible sound mixing and sound editing. Listen carefully as the sounds of helicopter blades transform into a Chemical Brothers tech-blast. Marvel at a knife-thrust punctuating a turntable explosion. And then opt for stewing in the breathless silences. I'm going to be tempted to watch the film with my eyes closed at some point, I just know it.
I recommend the film for its creepiness factor, for its near 2 hours of young girl beating the shit out of burly dudes, for its supreme gift to the ears, for the performances, and for a lot of the cool camerawork laden with some unexpectedly fine images. Pity about the story. (God, I hope they're not thinking prequel as a remedy.)
