We Need to Talk About Kevin

As a portrait of a deteriorating state of mind, We Need to Talk About Kevin is a masterful film.

There are so many great things happening on almost every level of this movie, from Swinton's haunting, magnetic and tremendously vulnerable performance, which is absolutely free of condescension to the suburban American wife-ness of her character, to the many unsettling individual moments.

Uncomfortably tense but worth savoring, particularly because of Tilda Swinton's devastating lead performance.

Ramsay seems to be seriously intent on probing the outer limits of a mother's love and forgiveness, but the boy (played by a trio of child actors) is so unremittingly evil that the movie begins to feel like a grotesque remake of that old John Ritter comedy "Problem Child" (1990).

Fragmented, dreamlike, a whir of memories and misery, We Need to Talk About Kevin is unsettling, but also somehow unnecessary.

It's a creepy and disturbing movie, but there's not a lot going on behind people's eyes. The soullessness lacks soul.

This is the most unwatchable horror movie masquerading as social comment I have seen this year.

This is one of the most disturbing films I think I've seen. Tilda Swinton tells the entire story through simple expression. There confusion, pain and loss and her face is etched with those emotions throughout the film. There isn't a performance from the four leads that isn't right on target. The cutting from Swinton's loneliness into the life that led up to the incident is a little confusing in the beginning but once your realize that something is terribly wrong here it works. The script is tight and doesn't tell all or attemtp to throw you off it just leads you throughout the story. One of the best films of 2011 and definitely the best performance by an actress. John C. Reilly once again proves he is one of the best character actors working today. Ramsay does a great job and even though it's difficult to watch this is one of those films where instead of saying "why the hell are they going in the basement" you allow Ramsay to open the door and push you through.

Yes... i know this film came before Manchester by the Sea but i've had watched it afterwards, and i cant stop myself from comparing these two films, i might have like this film if not. we need to talk about the score, a six for me is generally for films that have flaws but i can enjoy, this film i cant enjoy but it is a very well made film so i cant call myself an amateur critic and ignore this fact. the film tries to give meaning to unimportant things or things you could figure out your self, the main conflict is of a woman trying to live life after an horrific tragedy, and now comes the part where i compare the two films, Manchester by the Sea has this conflict, but not as the main one so the film doesn't need to pad run-time like the pretty short film I'm reviewing right now, they both give clues very carefully throughout the film, but Manchester has more than one story to tell in those details, We Need to Talk About Kevin has only one, and all the other details are just meaningless in the bigger picture, and you can realize generally what happened in the first 15 minutes of the film and i don't need the whole background of the event from start to finish told me for no reason, and from start to finish is in the very start, around 15 years before the event takes place start. Manchester tackles this kind of story better than the other film and there is no reason to watch this one, its meaningless and it thinks it is impotent and good because it delivers the story in a unique way, the only problem is the story isn't long enough for a feature length film to be told about it.

How do you define a parenting failure! The film was based on the book of the same name, directed by a Scottish director. A psychological thriller, one of those what some people feel uncomfortable watching it. The film holds a suspense from the past event, it is not going to be revealed until the final quarter. Till then makes us to keep guessing it. Followed by the pieces of flashback, the story of a mother who struggled to raise his first born, a boy named Kevin was told. It takes us to show how happy she was before. Once she got pregnant, everything changed in her life forever. She failed to understand her son. Ever since he was a baby, he had given her a lot of trouble. When he reaches his teenage, it becomes even more complication to her to handle him and events around him. But a big blow is what shocks the entire neighbourhood and her life turns a hell. Shot within a month. Tilda Swinton's one of the best, maybe the best of all the bests. She should have been nominated for the Oscars. I think that's one of the greatest snub ever. The supporting cast was amazing too, including John C. Reilly in a small part and particularly those Kevins from different ages. The overall tone was great, the atmosphere was created perfectly to the kind of story it dealt. I should have watched it earlier, but you know the type of film we look for and moods, all some times influence to miss a film narrowly. Anyway, it was on my watch list and I am finally going to scratch that off. It was a good film, but there's nothing special. The theme was strong, and seems like straight out of a real event, particularly these things are common in the United States. So if you are an American or familiar with the American culture, it will interest you. This is not as inspiring film, but kind of factual film like parenting failure. The end was disturbing, yet there's nothing bold revelation in the narration. Definitely an interesting take, though blaming parents, especially the mother was kind of disappointing, as well as depressing. That's why the tale was commenced since pregnant till the final twist. Actually, it was the editing tricks that make the film to have a twist. Otherwise, it is a straightforward story. Not bad for viewing once. It was slow and too long, if you think you can manage that, then you could try it. 6/10

Oui, il faut vraiment qu'on parle de Kévin, une vermine de psychopathe, une raclure de bidet, un déchet... Ah comme on aimerait qu'au moins une fois cette mère mollassonne s'énerve, pique un coup de sang, lui hurle dessus, lui crache au visage ou qu'elle lui file un coup de pelle ! pendant tout le film, on s'énerve à sa place, on s'indigne, on souffle, on fulmine. On se demande lequel des deux est le pire finalement : le petit connard ou sa mère complètement dépassée. Et ne parlons pas du père à la masse, complètement gaga avec le fiston chéri curieusement tout miel avec son papounet ! Le film utilise habilement de nombreux retours en arrière pour faire monter la tension et retracer l'évolution du dégénéré -comme si on était pas assez énervé comme ça- jusqu'à la fin choquante qui révulse littéralement : non seulement les "oeuvres" de son charmant antéchrist mais surtout la conclusion qui n'en est pas une (un coup à balancer la télécommande) avec cette mère toujours aussi conne, jusqu'au bout. La réalisatrice s'entête et se complaît dans ce portrait répugnant de l'ignoble Kévin comme un cochon qui se roule de plaisir dans sa propre merde et Dieu sait pourtant que même nos amis les cochons ont leur dignité. Une telle complaisance serinée pendant deux heures finit par vider de sens tout le propos du film -si propos il y eut jamais- et débouche sur une coquille vide. Peut-être l'intention initiale si simpliste n'est-elle que de choquer et de provoquer ? à cet égard, c'est mission accomplie !

We Need to Talk About Kevin should have been titled why didn't we talk about Kevin and make a godo film. The dad is a totally clueless, complete idiot, mom is frozen in indecision and their son is a genuine psychopath. As to why one of them didn't recognize the million signals that their little boy was deranged and needed serious psychiatric help is beyond me, but then we wouldn't have this movie, which is so excruciating in its faux artiness. Shame because it could have actually been a fascinating film. And for those wondering why Tilda wasn't nominated, she was drowned by this mess.