A teenager commits a macabre crime. The film traces the relationship between the mother Eva (masterfully evoked by the charismatic Tilda Swinton) and Kevin. Had he not been so convincingly presented, Kevin could have been dubbed a demon, a creature not of this earth. But he is neither psychotic nor satanic, but a mind obsessed. The single minded hatred by the boy starting from his diapers, grows in focus and intensity, coupled with intelligence to plan and execute the horrific project. Eva watches the boy's growth with bewilderment and disbelief, but even the series of shocks as they succeed each other over the years could not have prepared her for the nightmare that explodes one fine day. The focus of the movie is neither mother nor son but the nameless stream of emotion that exists between them. They are mutual centers of each others worlds--such is the mother/child bond. Love/hate are obverses of the same coin. There is a terrifying triumphant grandeur as Kevin releases his shafts in quick succession with concentrated fury. And yet there is redemption--at the end, the mask slightly cracks, and we glimpse a human being. The film is built from shards of memory skillfully interposed for economy and impact. It is too authentic a film to be subjected to needless interpretation--suffice it that the mind rooms creatures as infinite as myth can conceive. Of a class with Silence of the Lambs and Exorcist.
2 comments:
He's not a demon, but he is every mother's worst nightmare. Tilda Swinton should have been Oscar-nominated for another fabulous performance, which holds the plot fragments together in the movie.
Maybe the nightmare was mutual..Tilda is a passionate actress!
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