There are trailers that simply leave you awestruck and chomping at the bit for the release date to finally arrive. Hanna had one of those trailers, which started building anticipation about three months ago. The countdown finally reached zero and it proved well worth the wait.
Raised by her father (Eric Bana), an ex-CIA operative, in the wilds of Finland, Hanna’s (Saoirse Ronan) upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by Marissa (Cate Blanchett), a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own. As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.
Ronan is spectacular. Four years later, she’s obviously matured since appearing in Atonement. But her bond with Joe Wright is evidently stronger than ever as he directs her through another even more impressive and difficult performance. Ronan’s mastery of the character’s physicality is amazing, particularly in the scenes of one-on-one combat with Bana – she actually looks capable of taking him out. This believability is crucial to the rest of the film’s ability to work and it’s thoroughly established early on in the narrative. Bana’s role feels less consequential to the film, but this is only because Ronan continuously and rightfully draws our attention. Nonetheless, his contributions are effective both physically and emotionally. The film is essentially a three-person show and Blanchett completes the triangle. Though her Southern accent leaves something to be desired, her high-strung persona is perfect. She is the equivalent of the male authority in uniform that knows more than everyone else and is willing to do anything to keep it that way.
It feels like Run Lola Run with a breakneck pace and aggressive electronic soundtrack provided by The Chemical Brothers. Hanna spends a lot of time running from people trying to kill her and to various locations as she attempts to rendezvous with her father. Having received better training than most special agents, she is incredibly stealthy, efficient and lethal, which means she kicks serious ass whenever the need arises. However, having been isolated for so long with no human contact outside of her father, she emerges an alien in her own world. She’s fascinated by electricity, mesmerized by music and confused by other teenagers. It is this contrast of a trained assassin and innocent girl that is so captivating – especially when one personality replaces the other without warning.
The action gets a little clumsy once the characters converge at the House of Grimm, but it remains interesting from beginning to end. If this was a fairy tale, Hanna would be Little Red Riding Hood and Marissa the Big Bad Wolf – though it’s not always clear who is chasing who as the pair repeatedly trade the upper hand.
With only a few insignificant, difficult to pinpoint flaws, Hanna is an exciting action flick with two powerful women in the drivers’ seats.
