Director: Benedict Andrews
By Alex Watson
There is an undeniably stagey feel to Benedict Andrew's film Una. An adaptation of David Harrower's play 'Blackbird', this movie is a powerful look at how the past can still hurt us. Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn make for a fine central pairing and their back and forth verbal duals make this picture electric to watch. Unfortunately, the movie struggles to fill the gaps where they are urgently needed.
Una (Rooney Mara) finds a picture of her ex-lover Ray in a newspaper. Having not seen him in 15 years, on impulse she travels to his workplace. Ray is less than thrilled to see her and her presence brings us a past that he wants to leave behind. Una however, refuses to be ignored and is intent on discovering why he abandoned her all those years before.
Anyone who sees Una will be shocked to discover early on that this picture deals with a forbidden romance between Ray and a 13-year-old Una. Ray sexually abused her at a young age and the pair were planning to run away together. But one night her supposed lover disappeared leaving Una to pick the pieces. Showing no fear or reluctance about her past- Una confronts him head-on about things. Although Ray openly admits there was a romance, he refuses to admit he abused her. Throughout the pair shows a different acceptance of the past, Ray went to prison but has moved on. He now has a wife and a secure management job. Una on the other hand, refuses to let things lie and demands to know why the man she thought loved her just disappeared? Set mostly within the confines of a warehouse, the pair is literally boxed in and there are no places to run to.
When Una and Ray are on screen, the movie pops with bright colour. At first, Una is very dominant and her aloof and frank approach to calling her abuser is almost seductive. Ray is a man who in brief flurries we feel a pang of sympathy for, especially when he describes his prison experience. Though we must be careful not to become too attach and as past flashback reminds us, it was him who groomed Una. Although he has done his time and wants nothing more than to settle down with his new wife, his former lady feels an injustice as she was still made to suffer afterwards. Andrew's makes neither character likeable, then again they are not supposed to be. The way Andrews moves between two timelines showing us adult and young Una (an excellent Ruby Stokes) is haunting. Teenage Una is a girl with a sly confidence above her years, which Ray quickly feeds off. We are never shown any of the illicit acts taking place, but the implications are far scarier.
Outside of their rollercoaster of emotions, Una struggles to find a sure footing. Very few supporting characters are given any kind of screen time. Ray's co-worker Paul (a disappointingly underused Riz Ahmed) is one of the few who gets any kind of attention. Unfortunately, the movie cannot shake it stagey feel and as the pair hops from one part of the warehouse to another, there is a little room for the story to move. Also, its lack of a satisfying conclusion is one aspect that will frustrate viewers. Andrews excellently builds up the emotional and sexual tension to a stifling level. Problem is the movie has no way to really release it so we are left with a third act that has a deflated feel. There is one moment which will stick in the memory, we see Una curled up on a child's bed as she remembers being with Ray on a Ferris wheel. At first, the scene starts out as touching and affectionate, but by the end, it borders on seductive and uncomfortable.
Rooney Mara is absolutely excellent as the title character. Making full use her character's longing and pent-up anger, she gives a performance of complex emotions. Still loving and hating this man, Una is a woman who is still stuck in a time warp and unable to move on. Mara is one of Hollywood's most capable talents and she is on fiery form her. Ben Mendelsohn matches his co-star blow for blow and the most impressive aspect of this performance is how measured it is. Ray is undoubtedly a monster and paedophile but is trying to bury his past and become something new. We are given timely reminds of what crime he committed, but Mendelsohn gives an everyman charm. One of the most underrated actors on the planet, hopefully, this year he gets noticed at award season.
Una is a movie is worth seeing for the performances alone. It might not suit all tastes, but its quality of acting cannot be denied.
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