The movie adaptation of We Need to Talk About Kevin, the 2003 novel of American author Lionel Shriver is the winner of the best film at the 55th BFI London Film Festival on Wednesday. The novel won the Orange Prize for fiction in 2005.
The British-American film described by Mike Collett-White as an unflinching portrayal of a mother's troubled relationship with her son featured Oscar winner Tilda Swinton, starring as Eva, Kevin's mother
Kevin (Ezra Miller), 15, commits a massacre at his high school and goes to jail. Stunned, his mother, Eve (Tilda Swinton) can only react to tragedy when it begins to correspond with her husband, Franklin (John C. Reilly), who lives far and recalls the boy's troubled past.
We Need to Talk about Kevin premiered at the last Cannes Film Festival, was directed by Scottish film maker Lynne Ramsay. It beat eight other films, including Russian Alexander Sokurov’s Faust that won the Golden Lion at the 68th Venice International Film Festival.
"In the end, we were simply bowled over by one film, a sublime, uncompromising tale of the torment that can stand in the place of love," said John Madden, chair of the judging panel.
"'We Need to Talk About Kevin' is made with the kind of singular vision that links great directors across all the traditions of cinema."
The festival closes Thursday evening with a gala screening of The Deep Blue Sea, Terence Davies' adaptation of Terence Rattigan's play starring Rachel Weisz.
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
Click here to read the novel.
The following is the press release on the 55th BFI London Film Festival.
The 55th BFI London Film Festival, in partnership with American Express announced the winners at its high profile awards ceremony, supported by Montblanc at London's LSO St Luke's yesterday evening. Hosted by Marcus Brigstocke, the four awards were presented by some of the most respected figures in the film world.
Best Film: We Need To Talk About Kevin, directed by Lynne Ramsay
Celebrating the most original, intelligent and distinctive filmmaking in the Festival, the Best Film award, presented in partnership with American Express, was chaired by John Madden who presented the award with fellow judge Gillian Anderson.
On behalf of the jury John Madden (Chair) said: "This year's shortlist for Best Film comprises work that is outstanding in terms of its originality and its stylistic reach. It is an international group, one united by a common sense of unflinching human enquiry and we were struck by the sheer panache displayed by these great storytellers. In the end, we were simply bowled over by one film, a sublime, uncompromising tale of the torment that can stand in the place of love. We Need to Talk About Kevin is made with the kind of singular vision that links great directors across all the traditions of cinema."
Best British Newcomer: Candese Reid, actress, Junkhearts
This award is presented in partnership with Swarovski and honours new and emerging film talent, recognising the achievements of a new writer, producer, director, actor or actress. The award for Best British Newcomer was presented by Edgar Wright and Minnie Driver to Candese Reid, for her acting role in Junkhearts, a sophisticated, social drama about hope and the search for redemption. Starting acting at the age of nine, she joined Nottingham's prestigious Television Workshop, and her role in Junkhearts, at the age of 18, was her first professional acting role. Candese also received a bursary of £5,000 courtesy of Swarovski.
Chair of the Best British Newcomer jury, Andy Harries said, "Candese is a fresh, brilliant and exciting new talent. Every moment she was on screen was compelling."
Sutherland Award Winner: Pablo Giorgelli, director of Las Acacias
The long-standing Sutherland Award is presented to the director of the most original and imaginative feature debut in the Festival. This year, Argentinian director Pablo Giorgelli took the award for his film Las Acacias, a slow-burning, uplifting and enchanting story of a truck driver and his passengers. The director received his Star of London from film director Terry Gilliam.
The jury commented: "In a lively and thoughtful jury room debate, Las Acacias emerged as a worthy winner, largely because of the originality of its conception. Finely judged performances and a palpable sympathy for his characters makes this a hugely impressive debut for director Pablo Giorgelli."
Grierson Award for Best Documentary: Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life, directed by Werner Herzog
The award is co-presented with the Grierson Trust, in commemoration of John Grierson, the grandfather of British documentary. Recognising outstanding feature length documentaries of integrity, originality, technical excellence or cultural significance, the jury was chaired by Adam Curtis and the award went to Werner Herzog's coruscating study of the senselessness of violence and its consequences.
BFI Fellowship: Ralph Fiennes and David Cronenberg
Awarded to an individual whose body of work has made an outstanding contribution to film culture, the Fellowship is the highest accolade that the British Film Institute bestows and was awarded to Canadian auteur David Cronenberg whose film A Dangerous Method premiered at the Festival on Monday. The Fellowship was presented by Jeremy Thomas and Michael Fassbender.
Ralph Fiennes, one of Britain's pre-eminent actors, who has just made a bold and critically well received transition to film directing with his festival film Coriolanus, was also presented with a Fellowship, this time from fellow actor and personal friend Liam Neeson.
Greg Dyke, Chair, BFI said: "The BFI London Film Festival Awards pay tribute to outstanding film talent, so we are delighted and honoured that both Ralph Fiennes, one of the world's finest and most respected actors and David Cronenberg, one of the most original and ground-breaking film directors of contemporary cinema, have both accepted BFI Fellowships - the highest accolade the BFI can bestow. I also want to congratulate all the filmmakers and industry professionals here tonight, not only on their nominations and awards, but also for their vision, skill, passion and creativity."
The Star of London award was commissioned especially for the Festival and designed by leading sculptor Almuth Tebbenhoff.
Jurors present at the ceremony included: Best Film jurors John Madden, Andrew O'Hagan. Gillian Anderson, Asif Kapadia, Tracey Seaward and Sam Taylor-Wood OBE; Sutherland jurors Tim Robey, Joanna Hogg, Saskia Reeves, Peter Kosminsky, Hugo Grumbar, and the artist Phil Collins. Best British Newcomer jurors Anne-Marie Duff, Tom Hollander, Edith Bowman, Stephen Woolley and Nik Powell; and Grierson Award jurors Mandy Chang of the Grierson Trust, Charlotte Moore, Head of Documentary Commissioning at BBC, Kim Longinotto and Adam Curtis.
Other guests included: Alfonso Cuarón, Sheharazade Goldsmith, Duncan Kenworthy, Aaron Johnson, Paul Gambaccini, Chair of the BFI Greg Dyke, Chief Executive Amanda Nevill and Festival Director Sandra Hebron.
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