You Were Never Really Here is an unforgiving, tense and brilliant film with spectacular acting from Joaquin Phoenix
After watching this you'll see how intense and exciting it is
Lynne Ramsey, one of the finest British talents, has excelled herself here, writing and directing this brutal and visceral vehicle for Joaquin Phoenix to flex every acting muscle he has.
It’s unforgiving, tense and brilliant, taking her previous work (2011’s We Need to talk about Kevin) and dialling it up to 11 making one the most intense 95mins I’ve had for a long time.
Billed by Ramsey as a “mid-life crisis action movie” it’s the story of Joe, a PTSD and painkiller ridden ridden war veteran and former FBI agent who now finds missing girls for people requiring discretion and more revenge than the justice system can provide.
Whilst his next job (saving a powerful politician’s daughter from a paedophile ring) has the lure of a ton of cash, her capture turns out to be only the beginning, as corruption, conspiracy and violence escalates with a dizzying pace.
As with next week’s Mary Magdalene, you simply cannot take your eyes of Joaquin Phoenix.
He is mesmerising - I’m struggling to think of a working actor in 2018 that even comes close.
As ever, he says little - and you can’t imagine their being many laughs on set - but my god he is good.
Borderline obese here, waddling around smacking the absolute living s**t out of anything that stands in his way one second, then making jokes and giggling the next.
It’s dizzying. He is said to barely think twice about his performance once finishing shooting a film (although famously method before then) - but it’s impossible for us viewers to do the same.
He sticks in your mind like popcorn in your teeth.
He does not muck about here either - Joe’s fixation with death and violence (self asphyxiation and flashbacks to his violent father among the lighter moments of the film) manifest in the efficient and precise use of a ball hammer. He’s nails.
There are moment’s of humour and beauty too.
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Lying soaked in blood holding the hand of someone he shouldn’t, singing Charlene’s “I’ve Never Been to Me” is a brief respite from the gloom and a particularly touching burial leaves you realising there’s a heart in there somewhere.
Teaming him with Ramsey’s harsh editing and a simply incredible score from Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood (fresh from his Phantom Thread Oscar nomination) this is odd, uncompromising, but brilliant.
A film that won’t make you feel better about anything at all, but you’re down with that.
You Were Never Really Here
(15) 90mins
★★★★☆