Review: You Were Never Really Here

Image courtesy of Amazon Studios.

When it comes to portraying characters in states of emotional distress, few filmmakers do so as convincingly as Scottland's Lynne Ramsay. The director - who has only made four films in 18 years - frequently focuses on individuals who are tormented by bleak existences or tragedy, such as the young boy in "Ratcatcher," the girlfriend of a man who committed suicide in the haunting "Morvern Callar" or the parents of a school shooter in "We Need to Talk About Kevin."

In "You Were Never Really Here," Joaquin Phoenix loses himself in the role of Joe, who is easily the most disturbed individual to appear in a Ramsay film to date. As the picture opens, Joe is carrying out some form of self punishment as he nearly suffocates himself with a plastic bag over his head. During a later moment, he drops a knife toward his feet, moving it out of the way in the knick of time, while talking to his aging mother (Judith Roberts) through the bathroom door.

"You Were Never Really Here" has drawn some comparisons to Martin Scorsese's iconic "Taxi Driver" since its lead character is an avenging angel in New York City. In Ramsay's film, her protagonist is a victim of childhood abuse and former soldier with PTSD who works as a hired hand to a detective (played by John Doman of "The Wire"). Joe's jobs tend to involve rescuing young girls from abuse - namely, sex trafficking rings - and his weapon of choice is a ball peen hammer. Upon being hired by a senator whose daughter has been kidnapped by a pedophiliac prostitution ring, Joe is told by his new employer that he has been chosen due to his known penchant for being "brutal."

Ramsay makes a number of fascinating stylistic choices in the film, including her decision to rarely show Joe's acts of violence. Rather, the camera often cuts away from him as he raises his hammer to strike an adversary, or we see the bloody aftermath of his work. Another noteworthy stylistic trait of the picture is its use of flashbacks. There is very little characterization - and Joe rarely says much - and Ramsay lets the images tell the story. We see brief shots - obviously set in the past - of a dead soldier's feet (perhaps a fellow soldier who served with Joe?), a young boy hiding in a closet (obviously Joe) and a woman cowering under a table, while a man walks by carrying a hammer (an explanation for Joe's weapon of choice?).

Phoenix gives an incredible performance here, especially since he has so little dialogue. During one sequence, he observes a green jellybean and slowly crushes it - and the scene tells us more about his character than dialogue might in a lesser film. It's also interesting to see how Joe, although brutal in his work, can be compassionate. He cares for his aging mother, rubbing her feet in one scene and doting on her throughout the course of the picture. Joe also appears to view himself as a protector of the young girls whom he tracks down.

In one of the film's most oddly effective moments, Joe shoots an intruder who has been sent to his house after he has become entangled in a conspiracy as a result of saving the senator's daughter. While the man is dying, Joe doesn't pump him for information. Instead, he gives the man a painkiller and the two end up singing along to Charlene's "I've Never Been to Me," which plays on the radio in Joe's kitchen.

Clocking in just under 90 minutes, "You Were Never Really Here" is a lean, brutal, often visually stunning and powerful film about a disturbed individual. I'm not sure it's a masterpiece, as some critics have hailed it, but it's impressive nonetheless. Ramsay typically waits years between films - nine years between her second and third film and seven between her third and this one - so "YouWere Never Really Here" is also a welcome opportunity to watch a distinctive, if often inactive, talent at work. And Phoenix, who is one of the best actors working right now, provides a mesmerizing and challenging performance. Ramsay's film is not always easy to watch due to its grim content, but I have no doubt that it'll leave a mark on those who view it.