Matthew's Journal

I hadn't read the book that this film was based upon, but atreic was keen to see it. No-where in Coventry is showing it, so we went to the oldest still-operating cinema in the country, the Electric Cinema, in Birmingham. It was a pleasant, cozy venue to see a film that was anything but.

We need to talk about Kevin is a very non-linear film; it's all from the perspective of the mother (Eva) of a boy (Kevin) who commits a terrible crime. We see the impact it has had on her, as well as stages of her life before and after the birth of her son. Eva's appearance is the way to keep track of roughly what time point each flashback is occuring in, and indeed it's Tilda Swinton's performance as Eva that really makes this whole film - sometimes entire scenes go by without anyone actually saying anything. It would have been very easy to make a film with a straightforward answer - Kevin does it because he's evil, or Kevin does it because Eva is a dreadful mother, and so on. We need to talk about Kevin does none of that - it tells a bleak tale, and leaves all the questions open.

If you can bear the subject matter, and the pretty bleak tone, this is a fascinating film that really will leave you wanting to talk about Kevin...