Run Hanna Run

"Hanna"

What are some typical everyday things that the average, normal 16 year old girl would be up to?  Probably going to the mall, chasing boys they think are cute, and giggling the day away with their B.F.F.  These classic activities we associate with the teenage girl unfortunately do not apply at all to the everyday life of Hanna Heller (Saoirse Ronan.)  Hunting wild animals with a bow and arrow, knife, and hand gun, in a forest blanketed with snow; now that's more of Hanna's cup of tea.   

I first saw Ms. Ronan in a British World War II period piece called Atonement directed by Joe Wright.  At the time she was only 13.  Despite her age, Ronan gave a surprising good performance that earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Academy Awards.  Working with Wright once again, the young actress turns in another solid performance.  

Aside from her abilities as a skilled huntress, Hanna is also multi-linguistic, she wields incredible upper and lower body strength, and is ridiculously resourceful.  "Adapt or die."  That is what her father, Erik, (Eric Bana) tells her.  Erik has raised Hanna in the wilderness, away from society due to some shady circumstances involving himself as an ex-agent to the C.I.A.  Hanna wants to experience more in life.  All she has ever known is what her father has taught her and what she has read in books.  Well, the time has come for Erik's little bird to leave the nest.  By intentionally setting off a transmitter Hanna can alert the outside world of her whereabouts and complete her mission, kill Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett.)  Marissa is still an agent of the C.I.A.  Erik and she have a history together.  Now that Erik too is back on the grid, Marissa can complete her mission, eliminate Erik. 

This is Wright's first attempt at an action film, so I suppose he didn't want to choose a script that contained much complexity.  The screenplay is the usual game of cat and mouse which is fine I guess considering there's not much else the film could go with considering its premise.  Erik's and Marissa's motives are clear but aren't that interesting.  I guess that is why they are supporting characters.  The character of Hanna is something to behold though.  She grabs your attention right from the opening sequence.  To see a the role of the teenage girl written in such a way that goes against all our assumptions of what we've seen before is fantastic to watch unfold on screen.

How do most people experience something for the first time?  I would say with their eyes.  And Wright does just that.  We see the world through Hanna's eyes.  Her brain is interpreting sights and sounds in a way no one else does.  Reading about the world in books while sitting in her log cabin next to a roaring fire place is one thing.  Now Hanna actually has to put her skills to the test.  She's got to figure out how to get to one place to another, interact with modern technology, interact with people other than her father, and all the while evade Marissa's hired goons.  It sounds like a lot handle, but she manages to take care of herself quite well.

Ronan is in just about every scene in this film and she is given plenty to do.  Not only is this a very physically demanding role but she also has to convey the innocence of child who is left to fend for herself.  The actor director relationship that she and Wright built together on Atonement has clearly matured and blossomed to create this flower of a character that comes with some serious thorns.  Ronan holds her ground well against Bana and Blanchett.  The scenes between Hanna and Erik are genuine.  I felt that there was a real sense of family with the father daughter relationship.  Bana and Ronan have good chemistry together that works well on screen.

Set to the pulsating Techno score composed by The Chemical Brothers with some well choreographed fight sequences, Hanna is a decent action film that gives the audience a fantastic, nontraditional hero to root for.  What the screenplay lacks in substance it makes for with its characters, particularly Ronan's performance as the lead.  Wright's undertaking of a genre that is unfamiliar to him pays off for the most part, at least more so than his contemporary drama, The Soloist did.  Even though I think period pieces are his forte, I like that Wright is trying out different genres.  He also clearly knows how to get a great performance out of Ronan.  They both have promising futures and I hope the two of them will continue to work together.  Hanna gives Ronan a strong role as the lead that she seemingly handles with ease.  As indicated by certain scenes and specific imagery, the film suggests it is like a modern day fairy tale.  Hanna might be a princess, but not the kind that needs rescuing.