Hanna

Acclaimed director Joe Wright of Pride and Prejudice and Atonement fame takes a much darker—and somewhat Euro-trashy turn—with his new film Hanna.

Hanna is the story of a young girl (Saoirse Ronan) who is raised by her father Erik (Eric Bana) in the wilderness of Finland. Erik, an ex-CIA operative, has spent years training Hanna for her inevitable confrontation with intelligence agent Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett). As Hanna fights and flees the cunning Ms. Wiegler, she comes of age through her first interactions with the real world.

If nothing else, the film is fairly unique to a Hollywood fixated upon sequels and productions of novels. Traditionally in American cinema, a blonde, fair-skinned child symbolizes all things pure. Hanna offers this stereotype a roundhouse kick, and probably a few bullets for good measure. The beautiful cinematography and fine acting evident in Wright’s past projects are here in abundance, but the violence and action have increased tenfold. Lights and techno beats effectively create a sense of disorientation during chase and fight scenes. Unfortunately, the pulsing score can at times overwhelm, distracting from the action and creating a Euro-club vibe. The thick eyeliner, bleached-blonde hair and tight shiny clothes worn by some of the cast also add to this regrettable impression.

The most impressive part of Hanna is Ronan’s riveting portrayal of the title character. This was undoubtedly a difficult role to tackle, and Ronan succeeds in being both fierce and surprisingly vulnerable. Though it may be uncharted territory for Wright, his foray into action reveals his versatility and makes spending two hours with Hanna worth your while.