Strangely hypnotic and powerful film, loosely centred around a very strange female empowerment narrative, as the suicide of her boyfriend leads Morvern, a quiet supermarket worker, to experience life for herself.
Another great performance from Sam Morton, and Kathleen McDermott as Lanna is a wonderfully natural companion to Morvern, the chemistry between them is superb. An outstanding soundtrack, and some amazing visual sequences capturing perfectly a dazed and confused night out at a rave party and the immature hedonism of a Spanish "club culture" party resort. One amazing shot encapsulates the sad humiliation of a semi-naked girl in the name of laddish laughs.
Narratively the film is very enigmatic and this will frustrate many people. Morvern remains completely detached from everything, including the viewer, as she calmly disposes the body of her dead boyfriend and takes the credit for his novel. Sam Norton gives Morvern a very innocent child-like quality, that seems completely at odds with some of her actions, giving the character real complexity. It is never clear why Morvern decides to submit her boyfriend's novel as her own work, or what she finds in her trip to Spain.
But narrative and psychological motivation seem somehow beside the point here, where expressionistic sound and image clash with cold reality. Slow, completely enigmatic but somehow wonderful! Proof that Lynne Ramsey is one of the most talented British filmmakers around.
Another great performance from Sam Morton, and Kathleen McDermott as Lanna is a wonderfully natural companion to Morvern, the chemistry between them is superb. An outstanding soundtrack, and some amazing visual sequences capturing perfectly a dazed and confused night out at a rave party and the immature hedonism of a Spanish "club culture" party resort. One amazing shot encapsulates the sad humiliation of a semi-naked girl in the name of laddish laughs.
Narratively the film is very enigmatic and this will frustrate many people. Morvern remains completely detached from everything, including the viewer, as she calmly disposes the body of her dead boyfriend and takes the credit for his novel. Sam Norton gives Morvern a very innocent child-like quality, that seems completely at odds with some of her actions, giving the character real complexity. It is never clear why Morvern decides to submit her boyfriend's novel as her own work, or what she finds in her trip to Spain.
But narrative and psychological motivation seem somehow beside the point here, where expressionistic sound and image clash with cold reality. Slow, completely enigmatic but somehow wonderful! Proof that Lynne Ramsey is one of the most talented British filmmakers around.