R Instructor
Reference and Education
App
** Within the top 35 best selling reference application in more than 25 countries, including:...
roExchange
Finance and Business
App
[RO] ---------- ***** De departe este o aplicatie completa despre cursul bnr si cel de schimb la...
[5 CD]Classic Violin [100 Classical music]
Music
App
4 Series 5CD 100 most classic violin, Classical, romantic, passion, magic, unaccompanied collection....
Polyphony synthesizer with a low delay (low latency musical synth) and distortion HD version
Music and Utilities
App
Video: http://youtu.be/qNADBoucaRk A microtonal capable distortion synthesizer with an 11-string...
BrainyQuote - Famous Quotes
Reference and Education
App
BrainyQuote is available on all iOS devices, including Apple Watch! Create and share more than...
TechApp for Renault
Catalogs and Reference
App
This application contains the technical characteristics of cars Renault, and also the general and...
Newchic – Online Fashion Shop
Shopping and Lifestyle
App
Discover latest fashion trend online, get chic on your life, Newchic App offers over 10 thousand...
PerfExpert
Sports and Utilities
App
Embark the efficiency of a true dyno inside your car! Measure your real engine power and torque...
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated You Were Never Really Here (2018) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
When hired by a Senator (Alex Manette) to rescue his wayward daughter Nina (Ekaterina Samsonov) from the clutches of a paedophile gang, Joe delivers on the job with gusto, and – you sense – a degree of satisfaction. But then things go from bad to violent worse and Joe is drawn into a deadly high stakes game. As things get more and more personal, Joe embarks on a personal crusade for justice and retribution.
The real joy of this film is that Joe is such a nuanced character. Yes, he’s a brutal thug, but is still living with and loving his aged and demented mother (Judith Roberts), even though she drives him to distraction. He’s also clearly damaged himself, with a high degree of OCD behavior exhibited. Via clever flashbacks, we get hints to the route that led the boy to become this damaged man. As a sociopath, when things go wrong he could just say “F*** it” and walk away. But he doesn’t. Is this altruism? A sense of professional pride? Or is it the sight of a path to redemption? Although you could strongly argue that revenge kicks in to reinforce his decision, Lynne Ramsay‘s screenplay leaves things deliciously vague. Ramsey also directs expertly: she previously did 2011’s “We Need To Talk About Kevin”.
“I don’t like gory films” you might say “so this doesn’t sound like one for me”. Me neither, but actually, the trailer makes the film seem worse than it is. The violence is more alluded to than shown. Most of the “hammer action” is done either in long shot or seen on CCTV cameras, and you don’t get to see much of the outcome. There is only one really gory bit that I remember (shut your eyes where Phoenix answers the knock at the hotel door if you are squeamish!).
This doesn’t mean that it’s a comfortable watch though. It’s an insanely tense film since you’re not sure the direction it will go in next (think “Get Out”), and it has more than its fair share of “WTF” moments, especially in a dramatic closing scene. There are some memorable cinematic moments as well: a young girl in a nightie in the paedophile den blankly observing Joe’s handiwork being one that stays with you.
It’s a standout film, winning Best Actor (for Phoenix) and best screenplay (for Ramsey) at Cannes. It will be in a strong position to make my films of the year list. Highly recommended.

