Hanna

Saoirse Ronan plays the title character in Hanna, a contemporary European thriller about a young girl seeking revenge implanted in her by her father (Eric Bana). Her target is a federal agent played by Cate Blanchett. She obviously has some kind of tie to Hanna’s past and without any spoilers; it isn’t the connection that is immediately thought of. The film is very episodic in nature. There’s the snow episode, prison, road trip, and creepy theme park. Each part is unique but fits into the overall scheme flawlessly. The film locales prove as intriguing and layered as any character. The trip to the abandoned amusement park, which is themed around the Grimm Brothers fairy tales, is completely chilling. I really can’t think of a creepier setting in any other movie.

The fairy tale symbolism doesn’t end there however. In fact, I would say the set was used to bring more attention to the underlying theme in the film. Hanna is essentially a tragic fairytale character and Ronan does well to remain likeable without letting her character go soft. After all, Hanna is supposed to be a bad ass. There are a number of scenes that feel as if they could have ended up on the editing room floor. During the road trip episode the pace slows almost to a standstill as the audience learns of the protagonist’s sheltered life. This is obviously a big moment for character development, but the lull isn’t needed.

As the credits role, the biggest winners in Hanna are the Chemical Brothers. Their original score is aware of the scope of the film, balancing subtle themes with a more commercial electronic sound. It’s just like the movie itself, which is learned in the art of good film making, but not too proud to throw in some crowd pleasers. When I say crowd pleasers, I mean mindless violence and gruesome death. A video tour of that Grimm Brothers theme park set would have been scarier. (8.0 out of 10)