If, like me, you’re a bit over ‘Take Me Out’ and feel the success of ‘The Jonathan Ross Show’ is dependent on his guests then what’s a boy to do? Well, if developing a social life is out of the question then you rent a DVD, of course! So, I plumped for ‘Hanna’ starring Sa0irose Ronan, Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana.
What’s it about?
Hanna (Ronan) lives in the forest with father, Erik (Eric Bana) and has been raised to be an assassin with one target, CIA agent, Marissa (Cate Blanchett). Hanna’s mission sets off a chase across two continents ending with Hanna questioning her identity and a confrontation between Hanna and Marissa.
Any good?
Yes, of sorts. Ronan continues her rise with a sterling performance as the cold , Hanna and Blanchett is predictably super playing against type as a character with no real likability. Bana is solid enough but largely irrelevant to the story. Director, Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice) captures the mood very well and it’s all very believable. The problems come when it asks us to pay attention for 105 minutes on a film that isn’t particularly suspenseful and suffers from, at times, being a bit dull. It feels overlong as a result and when the revelations come, they’re interesting enough but you may have lost interest.
Verdict
This is by no means a bad film, and it is certainly above average but it could have been better. With a meatier storyline and more twists and turns, this could have been great. As it is, it feels like a good B-movie elevated by strong performances from its’ two leading ladies.
Random fact!
There’s a fleeting appearance from Downton Abbey’s Lady Mary Crawley (actress Michelle Dockery) as a CIA agent impersonating Marissa as a ploy to gain information from Hanna. Unfortunately for Lady Mary, this is unsuccessful and she ends up dead. What would the Dowager Countess say?!
