We Need to Talk About Kevin [Blu-Ray]

Unlike most Blu-Ray supplemental material, which thinly veils transparent, optimistic promotional babble, the half-hour interview montage included with We Need to Talk About Kevin dives deep into analysis, touching on funding issues and casting, but mostly discussing allegory and social context. It starts out with the taboo nature of the story, which vacillates between the present day and the personal memory of Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton), a mother certain her lack of natural maternal instinct led to her son ― the titular Kevin (Ezra Miller) ― executing several high school classmates. This notion of nature versus nurture is also touched upon throughout the interviews to a much lesser extent, since the focus, like in the movie itself, is on capturing the experience of a well-intentioned woman going through the motions of motherhood despite being ambivalent towards her increasingly unbalanced son. Clearly, each of the capable actors assessed their characters, being cast for their intelligence and dynamic. Director Lynne Ramsay talks about the chemistry between Swinton and Miller as having a natural unease, since she could tell that Swinton was put off by his youthful confidence and smug disposition, a quality (or lack thereof) paramount for his convincing portrayal of a sociopath. This sense of discomfort is something Ramsay exploits and masters throughout this superlative, intensely unsettling horror film ― or war film, as some interview subjects describe it, noting that this is an "American" movie ― finding the unease in every moment and capturing the natural grains and cold reality of every scene. Few films are so relentless in their aims, taking a difficult subject and forcing the audience to deal with every excruciating moment without the standard cheap levity. Ramsay isn't interested in conventional narrative or placating the viewer (something abundantly clear in Ratcatcher and Morvern Callar), rather she's interested in tackling difficult subjects and imperfect, often selfish or emotionally unstable characters with intense scrutiny, which in turn forces introspection and cultural analysis. With Kevin, she's managed to make her style just accessible enough to draw in those less accustomed to an uncompromising European vision, which hopefully means more engrossing and mesmerizing work on the horizon. Also included with the Blu-Ray is some extended footage of the La Tomatina festival and a brief interview with Lionel Shriver, the original author of the book on which this film is based.