I waited with anticipation and blustering excitement for We Need to Talk About Kevin, a Lynne Ramsay movie which centers around a mother as she tries to deal with life after her teenage son goes on a high-school killing spree. The trailer boasted fun music, two solid leading actors– Tilda Swinton as the mother and John C. Reilly as the boy’s father– and a captivating plot. What wasn’t there to get excited about?! And so, my high hopes began. This was especially the case when it was released for a week in December so that it would have a chance to be in the “For Your Consideration” category that might allow it to be nominated for this year’s Oscars (albeit, rather unsuccessfully). After missing it that week in December, my expectations grew and my anticipation developed into full form.

Apparently I was not the only person to feel this way, as the theater was jammed pack for an early Tuesday evening. This made for a more valid (for the sake of reviewing) movie-watching experience as I was able to gauge the reactions of my fellow viewers in addition to my own.

Well, did Lynne Ramsay’s film-adaption of Lionel Shriver’s 2003 novel of the same name live up to my all my anticipation and hope? You bet it did!

Rather expectedly, probably the best part of We Need to Talk About Kevin took the form of Tilda Swinton’s fantastic performance. Swinton took a role, one that could have been so easily made trite or one-dimensional, and brought so much life and realism to it, that at times it was easy to get lost in her performance. John C. Reilly as well as Ezra Miller, who played teenage Kevin, should also not be overlooked as they both gave very strong performances.

Stylistically, the film boasted beautiful shots as well as a top-rate soundtrack–by far the best movie soundtrack of this year– which featured songs by The Beach Boys, Wham!, and Buddy Holly. The dialogue and effective use of flashbacks, which took place throughout the entire movie, were also note-worthy.

My only complaint lies in the characterization of Kevin. At times the character-development felt a little flat and any sort of ending revelation he had, however small, felt forced and out of character. That aside, We Need to Talk About Kevin, is a great example of mastery when it comes to good filmmaking. Well, done Ramsay! While I will forever lament the film’s lack of Oscar recognition, I remain strong in my beliefs that this was one of the better movies of this year.

SEE IT.