Saoirse Ronan with a blood-spattered face in "Hanna"
Up-and-coming auteur Rian Johnson recently tweeted, “The filmmaking in Hanna was pretty humbling.” That’s high praise coming from the man behind the indie caper sensation “Brick” and the quirky con flick “The Brothers Bloom.” But high praise is old hat for “Hanna” director Joe Wright who’s used to being gushed over by cinephiles. The minutes-long Dunkirk beach tracking shot in “Atonement” practically sent movie geeks into heat. But with “Hanna” Wright deliberately sheds his austere period-piece elegance and opts for a more modern, frenetic style of showing off.
Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a 16-year-old super-soldier who lives in a cabin deep in Finland’s icy forests with her father Erik (Eric Bana). Trained in martial arts, literature, language and mathematics since she was a small child, Hanna has been forged into one of the most skilled and vicious assassins in the world, though, she doesn’t really know why. And her father, a former government agent-turned fugitive, isn’t too keen on telling her the whole story. She knows only that she must kill CIA agent Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett) to avenge the death of her mother. When Hanna finally feels her training is complete, she pushes a red button that alerts the CIA of her location. And the bloodsport begins.
“Hanna” is a fresh, exhilarating take on the revenge thriller. It’s a fast-paced chase movie with fantastic action choreography, a compelling and humanistic script and engaging performances. Wright even manages to slip in a few legitimate insights into the psychology of a directionless teenage girl. This is the movie “Sucker Punch” director Zack Snyder wishes he were capable of making.
The cast is rounded out by strong supporting players, notably Tom Hollander, who plays a deliciously loathsome contract killer employed by Wiegler. Blanchett, however, is the film’s lone dull spot. Her usually commanding presence is curiously absent. She feels out of place in a role that seems more suited for someone like Tilda Swinton. But a miscast central villain isn’t enough to derail the sheer thrill of this hard-hitting flick.
And underneath it all, crashing and spiking its way onto our eardrums, is the terrific score by British digi-musicians The Chemical Brothers. The duo’s industrial electronica soundtrack scoffs at traditional cinema sound cues and bullies its way into the spotlight. And it’s exactly the kind of overbearing, disorienting collage of sound “Hanna” needs.
Jokes about Hollywood’s increasing tendency to recycle old ideas in the form of reboots, remakes, sequels and prequels are more commonplace than ever. But “Hanna” is one of the few faces brave enough to stand out in the crowd.
