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Title: Hanna (2011)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Saoirse Ronan | ... | Hanna | |
| Eric Bana | ... | Erik Heller | |
| Vicky Krieps | ... | Johanna Zadek (as Vicky Kreips) | |
| Cate Blanchett | ... | Marissa Wiegler | |
| Paris Arrowsmith | ... | CIA Tech #1 | |
| John Macmillan | ... | Lewis | |
| Tim Beckmann | ... | Walt | |
 |
Paul Birchard | ... | Bob |
|
|
Christian Malcolm | ... | Head of Ops |
| Jamie Beamish | ... | Burton | |
|
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Tom Hodgkins | ... | Monitor |
|
|
Vincent Montuel | ... | Camp G Doctor #1 |
| Nathan Nolan | ... | Camp G Doctor #2 | |
| Michelle Dockery | ... | False Marissa | |
| Jessica Barden | ... | Sophie | |
See how director Joe Wright uses his signature tracking shots to set up a visual narrative for his films, including Atonement, The Soloist, and Hanna.
Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a teenage girl. Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the skills of a soldier. These come from being raised by her father, Erik Heller (Eric Bana), an ex-C.I.A. man, in the wilds of Finland. Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by ruthless intelligence operative, Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett), who has secrets of her own. As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity. Written by Focus Features
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From the trailers and descriptions of the movie that Focus has been releasing, I got the idea that they really wanted this to be Bourne with a teenage girl in the main role. What they got was an dark-comedy action film that is also a coming-of-age story. Focus might not have wanted the movie they got out of Hanna, but I think it's terrifically entertaining.
The first thing I talked about with my friends after we got out of the screening was the great job that Saoirse did of carrying the film, though she had some very entertaining supporting characters as well (the British family she meets up with is incredible). Another thing that really worked with the film was its soundtrack--the Chemical Brothers did a great job with their songs, matching the fast pace of the action scenes and setting the mood for some of the quieter scenes.
There were a few problems with the film, though, especially when it came to character development. Though the character of Hanna was well-developed throughout the film, the primary supporting characters were pretty weak. Hanna's father (Eric Bana) and the CIA officer trying to kill her (Cate Blanchett) are never really given purpose, so I was never able to invest emotionally in either one.
That brings me to another low-point of the film, Cate Blanchett. I typically love Ms. Blanchett, but in this movie, she does not work. Her southern accent is laughable (when it is there, sometimes it disappears altogether)and I never got the feeling that she was a stone-cold killer. I'm not a casting director or anything, but it felt like they got her for her name rather than for her ability to play the character well.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie, even with its faults; there are times when it feels like it is trying to be too many movies at the same time, there are some strange editing choices (you might feel motion sick after you leave the theater from all the spinning shots), and the script seems like it could have used a little more polishing to put some more detail into the story to make it a more complete film. When the film works, though, it really hits a stride that makes it an enjoyable experience.
Don't be fooled by the descriptions and trailers, this isn't just an action film, but a film with heart, comedy, and yes, an awesome ass-kicking teenage girl. It might not be for everyone, but if you are thinking about seeing it, I'd recommend taking the time to go to the theater.
7.5/10 (rounded up to 8 because it's more than just a 7)