Avelyn NgThe 16-year old Hanna’s survival instinct can be deadly. Be prepared for the chills as you watch how far one girl can go when driven to desperation.
As if The Lovely Bones didn’t make your flesh crawl enough, Saoirse Ronan takes on another suspense-thriller title role as Hanna to creep her audience out.
With the CIA hot on their tail and her mother shot dead, 2-year-old Hanna is taken along as her father, Erik (Eric Bana), who is an ex-CIA agent, is forced to escape into the Arctic to shake off their pursuers. Instead of enjoying discreet, peaceful lives in their sanctuary, however, Erik never lets his guard down and ambushes Hanna whenever he sees the chance, just to remind her to be vigilant every single minute.
Having to hunt animals such as deers or polar bears as food and being read the same encyclopedia as bedtime stories can be frustratingly boring for a young person. So it isn’t long before Hanna’s adolescence kicks in and she itches for freedom. She knows there’s only one way to do that- kill Agent Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett)- the murderer of her mother and the one who is bent on hunting them down. From the moment she chose to flick on the beacon and expose their whereabouts, life is forever changed. Instead of running away, Hanna willingly gives chance for herself to be captured so that she will be able to meet Wiegler.
The action
Unlike most crude action movies filled with loud sound effects, car crashes and shootouts, this movie is full of stealth, hand-to-hand combat and intelligence comparable to The Bourne Trilogy. To keep it as credible as possible, Ronan had her fair share of training with choreographers and fight professionals in preparation for the role, and shot most of the action scenes herself without a double.
The plot
Director Joe Wright puts in admirable effort into the details and emotions. Depicting the struggles of socially isolated and inept Hanna trying to adapt to the real world as she deals with friendship and even romance with encyclopedic head knowledge only, there are a handful of scenes that brought out humor and yet realistic. For example, being over-cautious and unsure of social cues, she even tackled a guy who is about to kiss her.
The cinematography
Transiting from icy blue Arctic to searing gold desert, the colours and the scenic beauty, like in most James Bond movies, is a feast for the eyes. Reminiscent of the Hansel and Gretel, it ultimately turns a fairytale-like house, which is supposed to be the place where Hanna and Erik reunite, and amusement ride track next to it into a bloody scene. The childlike setting cleverly complements Hanna’s inner innocence and once again shows the team’s efforts in choosing eye candy filming locations. Accompanied by fast-paced instrumental scores by The Chemical Brothers, the movie promises you to keep you glued for nearly 2 hours.
The cast
Working together for a second time, the chemistry between the Oscar-nominated actress and critically-acclaimed director, Joe Wright proved to be formidable as they managed to produce a masterpiece despite this being Wright’s first attempt at the action genre.
Conclusion
There is much to recommend Hanna, but you’ll have to be attentive or you’ll find yourself with lots of questions in your head. The scant character development of Erik and Wiegler (especially wasted given Blanchett’s significant and award-winning acting chops) also makes it seem as if they’re merely the catalysts for the title character, but I guess you can’t have everything. Ending with a bang (literally), the movie is framed and bookended nicely by having the last line mirror the first- “I’ve just missed your heart.”
Movie: Hanna
Rating: 4/5
Duration: 111 mins
Language: English
Genre: Thriller/Action
In Cinemas: 21 July 2011
Director: Joe Wright