There is a disturbing, almost ethereal quality to Lynne Ramsay’s films. What was earlier distinguishable around the edges in We Need To Talk About Kevin is split wide open like a raw wound that exposes the complexities of human emotions at its darkest hour.
You Were Never Really Here is a surreal chapter in one man’s battle with his inner demons, which Joaquin Phoenix wrestles with an exhaustive appetite. To say this is his best work would be doing a disservice to an actor whose brilliant turn in The Master cannot be marginalised. But Phoenix comes close to delivering a near flawless performance that will continue to haunt long after the end credits fade away.
Adapted by the Scottish filmmaker from a 2013 novella by author Jonathan Ame, You Were Never Really Here might be low on plot but it robs you of the ability to disconnect even when the blood starts flowing.
Phoenix’s Joe plays a former war veteran and FBI agent, now a vigilante for hire, whose expertise is getting wet jobs done for powerful and wealthy clients. His brutality is legendary and his efficiency lauded by those who retain his discreet services.
Yet, his appetite for retribution hides a dark and abusive chapter of his own childhood. It isn’t lost on the viewer that the hammer that was once wielded by his abusive father becomes the weapon of choice for the now older Joe (along with duct tape), who uses the tool as an instrument of defence for the suppressed.
But the darkness continues to uncurl like a snake just outside his periphery, whispering thoughts of suicide and self-asphyxiation in the blackest hours. However, Joe always seems to pull himself back from the abyss, perhaps seeking salvation of sorts in helping others, including his ageing mother (a tremendous Judith Roberts) who survived the abuse with Joe, yet lives in oblivion of the shadows that continue to linger.
Joe’s latest commission is the recovery of a teenage girl, Nina (Ekaterina Samsonov), the daughter of a young politician Senator Votto (Alex Manette) who has been lured into a sex-trafficking ring. As Joe takes on this new mission, all’s not quite cut and dry.
Jonny Greenwood’s brilliant and haunting score lends the perfect irony to the grim proceedings. Ramsay beautifully weaves the music into the narrative, subtly highlighting the emotional highs and lows without the trappings of unnecessary dialogues. A standout scene in the film is the singalong death sequence to Charlene’s I’ve Never Been to Me. That bizarre, yet poignant interplay, when Phoenix finds his hand clasped in those final moments, hits you with a blunt force trauma.
Joe’s battle with PTSD and his social isolation are reminiscent of Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. But Phoenix delves deep into the skin of his character, embodying Joe’s pain and his disillusion as his own.
You Were Never Really Here isn’t for the faint-hearted, but if you do venture down this dark alley, then you will walk away a little more nuanced in the ways of the world.
Don’t miss it!
You Were Never Really Here will release in the UAE on May 10.
