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19 Hanna
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Director: Joe Wright
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchette, Jason Flemyng
This tale of a wronged CIA agent (Bana) crafting his genetically-pimped daughter into the perfect revenge weapon is not at all what you expect going in, and in this case that’s no bad thing.
It’s more European art house than action adventure thriller, more travel documentary than chase movie, more teen coming of age tale than ruthless assassin on a mission fare. And for all that oddness it still works very well. It has moments of sheer beauty and quiet calm mixed in with fast action and brutal violence. It’s a film with the kind of mish mash of styles that doesn’t get made often enough and rarely works when it does. Sometimes it’s just good to be a bit different.
Best moment: the best thing about this film isn’t a moment, it’s Saoirse Ronan. Previously seen in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones , this young actress is a joy to watch. As we follow her character on the journey from isolation in the frozen wastelands of Finland out into the world on her mission of revenge, Ronan’s reactions are spot on. From her interactions with the people she meets on her journey to fighting with the people sent to stop her, you don’t for one minute think that Hanna isn’t capable of anything she puts her mind to.
Steven Ellis
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