Watch I, Anna

I, Anna is a haunting psychological thriller from 2012 that follows the intertwining lives of two troubled Londoners. Charlotte Rampling plays the titular character, Anna, a middle-aged divorcee struggling with loneliness and depression. Gabriel Byrne plays Bernard, a detective assigned to investigate a murder at a local high-rise apartment complex. Eddie Marsan plays his partner, Kevin.

The film opens with Anna wandering the streets of London, looking lost and disconnected from the world around her. She attends speed-dating events in an attempt to meet someone new but always comes up empty. Throughout the film, Rampling portrays Anna’s despair and loneliness with a heartbreaking vulnerability. It’s clear that she’s been through difficult times, and her emotions are close to the surface.

As the police investigation into the murder at the high-rise gets underway, Anna becomes an unlikely suspect. She’s seen leaving the building on the night of the murder, and her behavior at the crime scene raises some red flags. Detective Bernard is immediately suspicious of Anna, but as he delves deeper into her past, he realizes that she may be more of a victim than a suspect.

The film jumps back and forth between Anna’s present-day experiences and flashbacks to her marriage with her former husband, played by Ralph Brown. It’s in these flashbacks that we begin to understand the depth of Anna’s pain and how it has impacted her life. As the story progresses, we see how trauma can linger and haunt us long after the initial event.

Gabriel Byrne, as Bernard, is a perfect foil for Rampling’s Anna. He’s a hardened detective who has seen it all and isn’t easily fooled. But as he digs deeper into the case and into Anna’s life, he begins to sympathize with her and understand her struggles. Byrne brings a gruffness and rawness to his performance that is both captivating and believable.

Eddie Marsan is an underrated talent, and he shines in his role as Kevin. He’s the yin to Bernard’s yang and provides some much-needed levity in a film that can be quite heavy at times. Marsan has often played despicable characters, but here he exudes warmth and compassion, making his character a standout in an already impressive cast.

The film’s director, Barnaby Southcombe, has a keen eye for visuals, and the cinematography is stunning. The camera lingers on Rampling’s face, capturing every nuance of her expressions, and creating a sense of genuine intimacy between the viewer and the character. The use of light, shadow, and color is also noteworthy and adds to the moody atmosphere of the film.

I, Anna is a film that defies easy categorization. On the one hand, it’s a murder mystery, but on the other, it’s a character study of a woman struggling with mental health issues. It’s a slow-burning thriller that is more interested in exploring the inner workings of its characters than providing flashy action sequences. This might make the film too slow-paced for some viewers, but for those who are willing to invest their time, the payoff is worth it.

In conclusion, I, Anna is a gripping and unsettling film that features memorable performances from its entire cast. Charlotte Rampling gives a tour-de-force performance that is both nuanced and heartbreaking. Gabriel Byrne and Eddie Marsan provide excellent support, and the film’s moody visuals and haunting score create an eerie atmosphere that is both beautiful and disturbing. Fans of psychological thrillers and character studies will want to seek out this hidden gem.

I, Anna is a 2012 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 31 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.0.