Powerful performances drive Una Una (R16)
94 mins ★★★★1⁄2
Those of you who think television has a monopoly on thought-provoking, quality adult drama should check out Benedict Andrews’ cinematic debut.
With the help of Scottish playwright David Harrower, turning in a screenplay of his 2005 stagework Blackbird, the Australian theatre director has crafted one of the most knotty and potentially divisive narratives of 2017. Told with restraint, nuance and style, this exposes Doctor Foster as a tawdry melodrama in comparison.
At the basic level, Una is the story of a young woman (Rooney Mara) who tracks down the man (Ben Mendelsohn) who many years earlier had an unlawful relationship with her. A next-door neighbour, he was a trusted family friend. Her arrival now threatens to upset the life he has carefully rebuilt.
Clearly relishing being able to use a variety of cinematic tools to tell his tale (slow-zooms, tracking and match shots, reflections), Andrews does a magnificent job of creating a sense of space and place and the tension between the characters.
Equally, the fractured narrative helps draw the viewer in, slowly revealing the true nature of the past together and making you more than once reassess your thoughts of what’s taking place.
Of course it helps immensely that Andrews is able to call on two actors currently at the top of their game. Mendelsohn (Star Wars: Rogue One )is known for his ability to distil simmering menace, but here there’s a sensitive side that almost catches you off guard. Likewise, Mara (A Ghost Story, Carol) keeps her character’s motives cleverly guarded and delivers a powerful, yet poignant performance.
Throw in Jed Kurzel’s (The Babadook) haunting score and Una is a film that provokes, prompts pontification and then lingers in your mind. - James Croot