Benedict Andrews adaption of the play “Blackbird” is one of
the most uncomfortable films to watch. A young woman, Una played by “Rooney
Mara”, pays a visit to her old neighbour Ray “Ben Mendelsohn” who sexually abused
her when she was thirteen. You don’t have to read up about the film to know
that it’s a play adaption. Mara and Mendelsohn jaw-dropping performances take
place in mostly the same location. But even their more than outstanding
performance did not provide a point to this movie, or perhaps the only point it
made was too nauseating to point out. It’s unclear what Mara’s flighty and
traumatized character Una wants, it goes from closure, to anger, to reminiscing
the disturbingly fond memories she had with Ray. Ray on the other hand, an
abuser, claims to have a soft side. The film’s most eerie aspect is the balance
between the script trying to humanize Ray, and “Mendelsohn” sinister
performance. It’s unclear whether Una got her closure or not, but she did get
to walk away this time with the knowledge that nothing can erase what’s been
done to her. Una gets captivating as much as it gets sore by the second. It has
too many grey areas where it should not, enough to span arguments and debates between
viewers. However, the one absolute fact about this film is that it’s Rooney
Mara’s best performance to date.
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