UNA

UK, 2016, 94 minutes, Colour.
Rooney Mara, Ben Mendelsohn, Ruby Stokes, Riz Ahmed, Tobias Menzies, Tara Fitzgerald, Natasha Little.
Directed by Benedict Andrews.

This is a challenging film. Sexual abuse of a minor. The involvement of the minor in a relationship. The vulnerability of a 13-year-old girl and an infatuation with a neighbour. The neighbour taking advantage of the girl but denying that he was a predator. The role of the courts, prison sentences. And the consequences for the girl as she grows up, the psychological damage, coping or not. And the consequences for the offender.

Quite strong content for a film that runs just over 90 minutes. Much of its strength, especially in the dialogue and the confrontations, comes from the fact that it was an award-winning play, Blackbird, by David Harrower who has adapted his play for the screen and has a stage director, Benedict Andrews, making his first film for cinema.

The other great strength of the film is in the casting, with American Rooney Mara as the adult Una, an English girl, and Australian Ben Mendelsohn as Ray, the neighbour. Also significant is the performance and presence of the young Ruby Stokes as Una at 13.

In fact, the film does not seem like a play. It moves backwards and forwards in two time zones, the time of the abuse, as well as the present when Una has tracked down Ray and wants to meet and confront him. There are also a variety of locations, the home, the nightclub, the factory where Ray works, a focus on the interiors of the factory, the vast spaces for production, the narrow spaces for officers and locker rooms, creating quite an atmosphere for the confrontation, Ray’s home and his stepdaughter’s bedroom.

Other characters are also involved, Una’s mother, concerned but ineffectual (Tara Fitzgerald), one of the workers at the factory who becomes involved (Riz Ahmed) and Ray’s wife (Natasha Little).

The action in the present takes place over a day, concentrating on Una going to the factory, finding Ray, not having seen him for 17 years (with some flashbacks to her behaviour in the courtroom, the video connection appeal to Ray during the trial).

The confrontation is one of the main points of seeing the film. How does a woman in her late 20s act, remembering the past, the violent reaction of her father against her, not necessarily having dealt well with the affair and the consequences? How does a man who has served his sentence for the offence rebuild his life, change his name, marry?

An important question that is raised is Ray’s continued denial that he is a paedophile, that this affair was a single occasion. Another important question is the complexity of Una’s past love, the attraction, and whether that can be kindled again.

The film does not spell out answers to these questions. Rather, it gives many clues either way, moments of evidence for the audience, like a jury, to weigh the truth of what Una says and does and whether Ray is, in fact, a paedophile. In this way, the end of the film is similar to Doubt, the film where Meryl Streep as the local nun accuses Philip Seymour Hoffman, a priest, of sexual abuse. Doubts on either side raised, leaving the audience to ponder, to reflect and test their own attitudes. .

1. The story of child sexual abuse and the consequences?

2. The original play, the two-hander, opened out with characters, in different locations?

3. The times, the screenplay moving back and forth, editing and pace? The impact of the flashbacks – Una’s or Ray’s?

4. Locations, Una’s home, the present and the past? Exteriors, interiors? The roads? The factory, exteriors, the interiors and the vastness, the rooms, conference, lockers? Scott’s apartments? Ray’s house, the party? The daughter’s bedroom and the tiger? The importance of design for each of the locations – meaning? The musical score?

5. The initial contemplation of Una, in the past, Ray’s car and her walking past it, too…? The transition to the club, the noise, the dark, flashing lights, loud music, the sexual encounter? The resemblance of the man to Ray? Going home, the mother, her room? Audience attention on her?

6. Una’s day, going out in the car, promising her mother to return, with the photo, tracking down Ray, finding the factory, encountering Scott, Ray and his being called Peter?

7. The unfolding of the reality, gradually, Una as 13, her being groomed by Ray, willing? An early teenage girl, flattered, infatuation, declarations of love? The scene with the girls at the pool, her saying it was her father’s friend and their loss of interest? The time with Ray, his promises, outings together, the sea, planning to leave? How real for Una? For Ray?

8. Ray, the neighbour, attracted to her, the time together, the drives, his using her, how genuine the love, the reprehensible nature of his behaviour? The effect on him? His later denials of any paedophile drives?

9. Una, her wanting to get a message to Ray, the court, the lawyer’s refusal, the hearing, the sentence, four years, and then 15 years passing? His disappearance?

10. Ray, his life, the new job, boss at the factory, meeting Una, surprise, upset? His being needed for the presentation? His fumbling it, the manager angry with him, his hiding, the manager telling Scott he was on the list to be sacked? His reappearance, asking Scott to lock up, his going home, his wife of four years, the preparation of food, the party, his wife’s return, their sexual encounter? His responding to her or to his memories of Una? Una and the sexual encounter at the factory – and his refusing to continue?

11. Una, 15 years later, how damaged personally, psychologically? Her life to this point? Memories her father of her father, his brutality and hitting her? The mother, helpless? The decision to seek out Ray, her motivation, wanting to confront him, the anger, the talk, spitting at him? The sexual advance? The time passing, his going to meetings? The insertion of her memories? Ray and his hiding?

12. The encounter with Scott, his anger at being fired, Ray reassuring him, his looking up, giving Una a lift, at his apartment, the drink, the sexual experience, his girlfriend’s dress from the cupboard, taking her to the party?

13. The party, Una and the dress, welcomed by Ray’s wife, Scott welcomed, Ray and his isolation, his reaction, wanting to get rid of Una, taking her to the gate, the kiss, her leaving? His wife?

14. The wife, her relationship with Peter, four years, Una asking her about happiness and her hesitation? The scene in the bedroom? The preparation of the party and the food, hosting the party?

15. Una, in the house, the bed and the tiger, the child’s room, discovering the stepdaughter? The stepdaughter as the same age as young Una? Ray denying any wrongdoing?

16. Una, at the end, what had she achieved, not achieved, the effect of the encounter? Ray, the audience believing whether he was telling the truth or not? The audience, the range of clues and indications, the conflicting evidence – leaving the audience with certainties or with doubts?