GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

ChampDavSlim The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

dingane I think most of the negative comments I read here are people mad at two things. First, they're mad that Una herself seems ambivalent about the relationship she at 13 with this man. Part of her is mad at Ray, but part of her clearly misses him. It even kind of looks like maybe she's only mad because he left her, not because he statutorily raped her. Second, it allows Ray the space to say that he's not really a pedophile, but just loved this particular girl at that time. It clearly wants the viewer to consider whether this was a truly loving relationship that was only complicated by the age issue. People justifiably do not want to consider such a thing and, if you're like my wife, turned it off. I came back to finish it because I was interested to see how it was going to resolve. And the acting and cinematography are phenomenal.Here's where the movie saves itself and proves it isn't what my wife thought it was.You get your first glimpse at true Ray in the warehouse when he starts saying stuff to Una like "You were just so wise for your years." That's the kind of manipulative crap that pedophiles use to "groom" their victims. It harkens back to past pedophile Ray. It passes quickly, but it's clear that there's more to Ray than he's been showing us.I'm skipping a bunch. In the end, they go to a garden party at Ray's house where Una discovers that he married a woman who has her own very cute 13 year old daughter. Suddenly Ray sees that he's in danger. He follows Una out and starts telling her again how special she was and how he's never been attracted to another young girl etc. He's clearly full of shit. At that moment, Una realizes that he's been full of shit for however many years. She realizes how stupid she's been for holding a candle for this guy, and she leaves, feeling disgusted. Ray turns around and everyone saw *something* happen. He's got some explaining to do and it's probably not going to go well for him.But here's why I love this movie. It turns the *viewer* into Una. At the beginning we're thinking this guy is a creepo, but maybe it was just this momentary thing and he's not *really* a pedophile. Maybe he even really loved her, even if having sex with her was wrong. The film forces us into Una's ambivalence. It's only in the last few moments that we do a 180 along with Una. She and the viewer realize in the same moment that Ray is and always has been a predator.If you don't watch it until the end, you might think it's defending statutory rape. It's not. It's just trying to take you on a journey with a woman who is still on a hard journey, processing her abuse. For that reason, it's a powerful film

Raven-1969 Fifteen years after the crime and Ray still pulls at the heartstrings of Una. It is the shadow of love, a brutal charm and broken promise that brings her back to confront him in search of answers. In flashbacks to a Ferris wheel, courtroom and cottage by the seashore, the emotional carnage of two fractured lives is gradually revealed. Una struggles to find meaning in the answers provided by Ray as well as those from inside her heart. This character driven psychological thriller stars Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn. Each actor specializes and excels in such roles about damaged psyches, and they continue to shine here. Wonderful cinematography, direction and music contribute to heighten the emotional impact of the story. The film is based on the play Blackbird by David Harrower. Just released to Netflix snail mail catalog.

ObscureFilmLover I watched this film last night having never heard of it. It tells about the complicated nuanced relationship between a 40 year old man, Ray, and a 12 year old girl, Una. The relationship is discovered and he goes to prison to 4 years.Fourteen years later, Una who is still living at home and is seen having very casual sex (in a restroom at a club), seeks Ray out. Although she states he abused her as a child (and he did), she is also very hurt over why he didn't return to run away with her like they had planned.She cries over him not coming back after they had sex. She searches for him. He explains he stopped off and had a drink to study his nerves and then she was gone when he returned. He searched for her and is arrested. Una appears to accept this explanation. They then undress and start to have sex. He either stops or can't do it. She asks whether he doesn't like her now that she's older.And then the twist. Stop reading now if you haven't seen the film. She buddies up to one of his co-workers and gets him to take her to a party at Ray's house. She is asked to leave but refuses. Una wanders around the house and ends up in a child's room. She falls asleep on the bed but is awoken by a young girl very similar in age and appearance to her at age 12. She leaves. Ray stops Una and assures her that she was the only one and he has no interest in the step-daughter. She walks away. Fini.The story leaves us hanging at this point. Ray is a liar who previously said his current wife knew all about his past. Later he admits she knows nothing about it. At a minimum, Una needs to tell her that her husband changed his name, abused her and went to prison for it. The fear that you're left with is that she will say nothing because she still has feelings for him.I understand the criticism about the long stretches of dialogue without much action but the movie is based on a play and the movie maker does a pretty good job of taking a lot of the staginess out of it. It appears that the stage play was one primarily of a dialogue between Una and Ray. It would appear that the film-maker used flashbacks including a younger actress playing Una to "open up" the play for film. There is also a useless subplot about the workplace where the film is set being downsized which might not be in the play as well.However, the movie is a good examination of the complicated nature of sex. Una may have very well liked the sex with Ray but it my opinion, because she was 12 and not 24 when she and Ray were together, she was damaged and remains damaged all these years later. Ray had certainly moved on at the time of the meeting but Una is still stuck with her confused feelings.

jackcwelch23 I enjoyed the writing of this film, it was interesting, disturbing and uncompromising in dealing with the most taboo of topics. A few things really irritated me and stopped me from enjoying it as much as i should. Rooney Mara's accent is, well, rubbish. Ben Mendelsohn just plays an Aussie even though he pulled off the English accent in Starred up. Riz Ahmed's character is underused and almost pointless to the story. Having work problems continually interrupt their tense conversations became repetitive and stale. However, the writing was still so good I paid attention all the way through and did not regret watching it when it was over. They should have cast someone else in the lead role as Mara, a good actor but simply not fit for this part, is the biggest factor in stopping the movie hit as hard as it should. Still, it is a thought provoking and pretty creepy study of unacceptable sexual desire.