Review: Hanna

After Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, it was quite clear that director Joe Wright was capable of great things, however, nothing can prepare you for the greatness that is his latest feature film, Hanna. It’s a visual and mental action adventure film packing enough energy and suspense to blow you right out of your seat and the best part about it is none of those effects are achieved using cinematic copouts, cheesy effects or any stale parlor trick. Hanna is powered by all-around genuinely thoughtful filmmaking and one heck of a performance from Saoirse Ronan resulting in a tense, funny, touching and, overall, wildly enjoyable experience.

Deep in the frigid forest of North Finland, Hanna (Ronan) lives with her father, Erik (Eric Bana), in a primitive cabin without a trace of modern technology. Rather than surfing the Internet and hanging out with friends, this teenager is learning to fight, hunt and speak Spanish, Italian and Arabic amongst other languages. Erik’s methods can be a bit callous, but they’re rooted in his deep love for his daughter and for her safety. However, eventually the day comes when Hanna must leave this life behind, enter the real world and demonstrate that she really is a perfect assassin.

Without her father’s guidance, Hanna is forced to complete her mission alone. She must travel through foreign lands with nothing except what her father taught her while a hardened intelligence operative, Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett), and her coldblooded associates follow right behind. The closer Hanna gets to her destination the more she discovers about her father, her pursuer and herself, all of which boil over into an extremely trying revelation.

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