Joe Wright: Visionary?
Director Joe Wright’s Hanna is a stylish suspense thriller, which re-invents the story of the rogue assassin.
Wright is the talented filmmaker behind 2007’s Atonement, which was nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress Oscars (Saoirse Ronan, who also plays Hanna’s title character). Hanna may include familiar plot points of the modern-day thriller, but its execution is anything but typical.
At first glance, Wright’s film might simply seem to be a variation on the “long-forgotten-assassin-returns-to-seek-vengeance” story (ala Jason Bourne), but look deeper. Wright brings depth to the film’s undercurrent and he infuses elements of a dark fairy tale. Like a feverish dream, the film desperately envelopes you in its horrific tale of a generation’s retribution upon its forebearers. As a result, many of the film’s images resonate long after the closing credits
As Wright puts it, “I guess I conceived the whole film as being a dream, or rather, like a painting in which the world kind of seems to be real but actually there’s something just off about it.” Read the rest of the Joe Wright interview here.
Need more? Just dig on this analysis of the film’s mythological pursuits.
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VOH 
I haven’t seen HANNA yet, but based on what I’ve read, it sounds like the film has a very nefarious message. Freeze the trailer at the 0:59 mark. Also at the 1:57 mark. Peekaboo! They can see you!
“Hanna” may include familiar plot points of the modern-day thriller, but its execution is anything but typical. Wright brings depth to his undercurrent and he infuses elements of a dark fairy tale within his thriller. Like a feverish dream, the film desperately envelopes you in its horrific tale of a generation’s retribution upon its forebearers. Many of the film’s images resonate long after the closing credits”
That’s a great paragraph, Stephen.