Review of We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) by Nl K — 30 Oct 2017

Several people have watched this movie and commented that they feel it is unsettling (and perhaps a bit divisive) that no clear reason is given in the flashbacks of Kevin's upbringing for his actions at the end. Kevin claims not to know why he did what he did at the end of the movie. Yet, the quote from the film, which "Tomatoes" published below sums it up perfectly for me:

"Kevin: It's like this: you wake and watch TV, get in your car and listen to the radio you go to your little jobs or little school, but you don't hear about that on the 6 o'clock news, why? 'Cause nothing is really happening, and you go home and watch some more TV and maybe it's a fun night and you go out and watch a movie. I mean it's got so bad that half the people on TV, inside the TV, they're watching TV. What are these people watching, people like me? ".

Oddly, I watched "Kevin" immediately after watching an episode of the science/psychology show "Brain Games". The episode had to do with lying: Why we lie and when we start lying. It turns out that infants will cry and fuss as if they need something when actually all they crave is attention. Hence, they are lying.

What we see in Kevin is an obsessive need of attention from the time he is an infant on. He doesn't want to watch TV he wants to be the person who is watched.

Yes, this movie is a terrible downer--does not leave you "humming the songs" afterward. I question whether Kevin's mother would be so universally hated for what happened. She is a victim too. I feel that the hate toward her is overplayed.

Still, the acting is great(!) and the writing and editing are purposeful and tight. It takes a little to get used to the cuts between "now" and "flashbacks". This helps to give insight into the Mother's state of mind.

This movie is haunting. If you like a film that leaves you thinking, not just about the film but about real-life events and people, then I recommend that you watch it.