We Need to Talk About Kevin

We Need to Talk About Kevin

What do you do if the son you raised commits a monstrous crime? Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly star in this drama as parents to Kevin (Ezra Miller), a quiet but haunted child. As he grows up, his mother notices signs that may point to sociopathic behavior, but his father remains adamant that he's a totally normal, sweet little boy. Of course, everyone notices all is not well when Kevin goes on a shooting spree at his high school. DVD extras include bonus footage, an interview with author Lionel Shriver, and two featurettes.

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Man on a Ledge

At first glance, the man on the ledge is a desperate ex-con, seeing no other way out of an extended prison stay than to jump to the street below. But once you look closer, you realize that he's not desperate at all, nor is he looking to escape his life of crime. In fact, he's just looking to create a distraction while his brother scores a bunch of diamonds across the street. Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, and Ed Burns star in this psychological thriller. Extras include a making-of featurette and trailer commentary with Elizabeth Banks.

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One more release when you read more

Don't be fooled by the dulcet tones of Buddy Holly's "Every Day" in the We Need to Talk About Kevin trailer. It plays as Eva (Tilda Swinton) and Franklin (John C. Reilly) fall in love and have their first child, Kevin, but their life is less than idyllic. That "sweet little boy" that they conceive (played as an older teen by Ezra Miller) grows up to commit a heinous crime: he goes on a killing spree at his school. In the aftermath of Kevin's monstrous act, Eva is haunted by the memories of Kevin's behavior in flashbacks.

Swinton looks like she's turning in another amazing performance as tortured mother Eva, but it's Miller as the titular Kevin who really gets under your skin, even in the few minutes of the preview. As creepy as he is and as tragic as the film appears, I can't wait to see this. The movie comes out in limited release on Dec. 9, but you can watch the full trailer when you keep reading.

The 2011 Cannes Film Festival is off to an exciting start and We Need to Talk About Kevin, from director Lynne Ramsay, is one of the first movies creating major buzz. We Need to Talk About Kevin tells the story of a troubled mother-son relationship that comes to a head with a gruesome school massacre at the hands of the boy, Kevin. I read and was a fan of Lionel Shriver's book when it came out in 2004, but the twists and turns still had me on the edge of my seat even knowing what was coming. We Need to Talk About Kevin is not easy to watch and I left the theater feeling incredibly unsettled, but the amazing performances from Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, and the series of boys who play Kevin are worth every anxious second.

The film jumps between before the incident, as we watch Kevin grow up and Eva (Swinton) struggle with her relationship with him, and after, where we see the world having turned against Eva, because of the crimes her son committed. Reilly once again proves his dramatic chops playing Kevin's dad Franklin, but it's Swinton's quiet suffering that really carries the movie. She is stunning as a mother who's not sure how to love her first born, or if she even does at all. Kevin, played mostly by Jasper Newell and Ezra Miller, leaves the viewer wondering if there is such a thing as a truly bad kid or whether there is humanity in everyone. There are moments when Lynne Ramsay's style overpower the story, such as the blood-red imagery that flows throughout, and those unfamiliar with the novel may have a hard time following the nonlinear storytelling. Bottom line: We Need to Talk About Kevin is difficult, devastating, and nightmarish at times, but it's ultimately worth it.

We Need to Talk About Kevin doesn't currently have a US release date, but I imagine it will after the Cannes buzz.