Hanna

You may remember the last time I wrote about one of director Joe Wright's movies was after seeing "Atonement". To summarize that review, it sucked. I am happy to report that my impression of "Hanna" is significantly different. The best parts of the film come early, as we see Hanna at home with her father. There is a depth and affection in their relationship that is almost startling because you see that kind of love so rarely depicted in film. What is nice about the opening minutes is that the Wright allows the audience to take everything in. From the relationship between Hanna and her father to the rich cinematography which establishes where they live. Soon we are introduced to the plot, and at times we feel its pull and those are the weak momemets in the film. Yet for the most part the film is suprisingly thoughtful and never feels like its rushing from one action scene to another. Instead it is about a girl and her father and the devolopement of other relationships beyond her experience. I liked very much the sense of disorientation that the cinematographer and editor was able to convey. How often do we see a landscape and think "that looks just like Southern California" only to have a subtitle explain that we are actually in Iraq. This film lets you figure out where you are on your own, just like Hanna, and sometimes the clues aren't very helpful. I probably should mention that Rob and I had a debate over whether or not the film was promoting lesbians, and I'll admit to you that I was stretching it by suggesting that it was not. The movie also has a bunch of murder and stuff like that in it, but you probably don't mind that so much.