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Saoirse Ronan stars as “Hanna,” a lethal teenager on a mission from dad. |
If you see Joe Wright’s amazing action movie “Hanna,” pay close attention to a scene where Hanna’s father, Erik (played by Eric Bana), arrives at a bus station.
In one single, glorious, meticulously crafted shot, the camera follows Erik all over the station, through the crowds, down a long staircase and into an open area, where he confronts several would-be assassins in a breathtaking, masterfully choreographed fight for survival.
This accomplished sequence and others like it are why film critics will do cartwheels over “Hanna,” and why fans of action films will be impressed with this movie, one that poses the question, “What if Jason Bourne had a kid sister?”
Wright has put together impressive tracking shots before, such as the lengthy beach landing sequence from his excellent period drama “Atonement,” starring a young Saoirse Ronan.
Now, a more grown-up Ronan stars in “Hanna,” a slick and slightly futuristic thriller that straddles the line between an art house drama and a popcorn pleaser feature.
“Hanna” opens with a teenage Hanna hunting and killing a moose with a bow, arrow and a gun in some remote, snowy realm of the world, suggesting she has been well-trained in survival tactics.
Her father Erik, clearly some kind of uber-soldier or secret agent in a prior life, coaches her in the art of staying alive. (Read more…)