Now playing IN HANOVER: Hanna
By The Dartmouth Arts Staff
Published on Monday, April 18, 2011
Often one to work on period piece films, director Joe Wright shifts gears and takes on the story of a daughter trained to be an assassin by her rugged ex-CIA father (Eric Bana). Packed with various action-movie themes, “Hanna” begins with young Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) tracking down and murdering a deer. Hanna then travels across a spectrum of locales from the desert of Morocco to a CIA retaining office. Along the way, Hanna must evade agents sent by an unforgiving intelligence operative (Cate Blanchett). —Jackie Donohoe
Directed by: Wright Written by: Seth Lochhead and David Farr, based on a story by Lochhead With: Ronan, Bana, Blanchett 111 minutes Rated PG-13
A standard action movie with a seen-it-before storyline (it’s the “Bourne” Trilogy with a teenage female lead), “Hanna” stands above its rivals with a solid cast and an absolutely fantastic big-beat electronica soundtrack from The Chemical Brothers. How the theater didn’t turn into a rave is beyond me. — Alec Brodsky
Ronan is fantastic, adeptly portraying the strongest and most fearless 16-year-old assassin I have ever seen. Some of the most intriguing moments of the movie, however, were when the camera would focus on her serene face while she was listening to someone talk or playing with her dogs. Ronan brought a truthfulness to her character that made me forget I was watching an action film half the time and made every moment of the movie fun to watch. — Sophia Archibald
While the editing and camerawork in “Hanna” are impressive, they feel rather empty — serving to show off what Wright can do but not conveying a strong story. Portrayed by the young and talented Ronan, Hanna generates the best moments in the film when she simply attempts to forge human connection. Wright’s largely egoistic filmmaking, however, distracts from Hanna’s fascinating interactions with others and ultimately alienates the viewer. — Katie Kilkenny