The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Leaving out pieces of vital information in a film can be a double-edged sword: the audience can either be completely intrigued or lose interest because they have no idea what in the world is going on. Using that tool is a balancing act and You Were Never Really Here fell off the tightrope.

You Were Never Really Here is about Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), a veteran who now makes his living rescuing missing girls from sex traffickers. A senator’s daughter (Ekaterina Samsonov) is kidnapped by a sex trafficking gang, and as Joe attempts to save her, he discovers corruption, abuse of power, and political turmoil.

At first glance the film’s plot may seem like the ghost of past films like Taken (2008), Taxi Driver (1976), and many others. But this film takes a very different approach to the plot. The main focus of the film is Joe himself: his agonising world, his childhood with an abusive father, his past in the army, and the price he pays for doing what he does. This approach definitely sets the film apart, however, the execution does not do the film justice. There are several prolonged scenes that provide no information nor evoke any emotion, which made many members of the audience feel bored. Another issue is that the film provides insights on Joe in very brief and barely comprehensible flashes, whether through the numerous flashbacks or a word in the dialogue, which, if executed properly, would be intriguing. 

You Were Never Really Here is undoubtedly spectacularly filmed, with several shots seeming frame-worthy with their perfect lighting. Joaquin Phoenix played a remarkable part in the film. With all the focus on him, he was the one who would make or break the film and he definitely did a great job.  He was able to convey complex emotions with barely any dialogue. 

Ekaterina Samsonov also did a noteworthy job with a not over-the-top or hysterical performance of a kidnapped and sex trafficked young girl. Instead, her performance was calm, shocked, and eerily realistic to what audiences could imagine about being in that situation. Samsonov also brought to light several aspects of being in such a situation that are not usually highlighted by many films.

Great actors, spectacular shots but unfortunately the director’s focus on breaking the norms of the genre and the overuse of information exclusion both sunk the film so low when it could have been breathtaking. Instead audiences did not get it, were bored and just waited for it all to end.