Last year there was a film that struck me for its use of music style and the way that it took on a life of its own within the movie. It, also, contained great acting performances and a linear storyline. Everything came together quite well and I was thoroughly impressed, overall. Just for the record, it was entitled “Good Time.”

It is rare that I will see the ads for a film before I have actually seen the movie, these days. That is not just some weird anomaly. I do it deliberately, unless “Star Wars” is involved, somehow. Those ads are like their own individual films. One cannot write for a site such as That Nerd Show and miss out on such trailers, in my estimation. In any case, I DID happen to see the trailer for “You Were Never Really Here” before I had sat down to watch the movie, itself. All I can recall was the appearance of Joaquin Phoenix and at least one quote, stating the greatness of his performance. What about the movie, as a whole, though?

Well, it was directed by Lynne Ramsay who has been directing films since 1996, but has not been a part of anything I have seen or heard of before. Prior to THIS entry, her previous work was a short piece, entitled “Swimmer,” from 2012. She also wrote the screenplay, which was based on the novel, of the same name, written by Jonathan Ames. It seems that this is the first movie based on any of his novels, but do not quote me on that, as of this moment.

Like the movie I originally mentioned, “You Were Never Really Here” has a style in which the music takes on a life of its own. Specific scenes are made more memorable, simply because I can recall the music, original AND sourced, that played as the scene was unfolding. Although multiple scenes stood out, there was one, in particular, that really stayed with me. It took on a familiar look, as well. For those who are familiar with the 1976 Martin Scorsese classic, “Taxi Driver,” I hope you will notice the comparison that I am making and agree with my assessment.

Joaquin Phoenix (“Unity”) is Joe. Like the name implies, he is an ordinary man, or at least he intends to be perceived as such. He takes care of his sick and debilitating mother, when he is at home, but on the outside, he keeps a low profile so he can put his solid, government-trained skills to effective use. Sadly, the world of sex trafficking among young girls, is a thriving business, though most of us see none of it in the public eye. Joe rescues girls from that world, brutally punishing those involved, along the way. His techniques are brutal, but you will be hard-pressed to find anyone who would second-guess the justice he carries out, either.

Joe is basically the only character with any depth, throughout, and his interactions with the other characters are limited, as well. I suppose that for a man who does what HE does, limited contact is actually essential. For some reason, his latest assignment, involving the daughter of a political figure, goes awry. As it turns out, there is much more to Nina Votto, played by Ekaterina Samsonov (“Wonderstruck”), than meets the eye. Her performance is chilling, but poignant. Most of us cannot imagine what life would be like for a child who is being used as a sex slave, nor would we WANT to imagine it, but depending on the person, the reaction could be very troubling.

I realize that it is a very popular thing to portray those in power as corrupt, but it also happens to be somewhat truthful. Most of us are simply not in the position to be considered one of “power,” but how do we know that we would not be corrupted, too? Joe has spent a lot of time around such people. He is doing some very dirty work and, no doubt, it has taken its toll on him. He is haunted by graphic visions, seemingly from various moments of his own life. All together, they make sense, but in pieces, it can be a bit confusing within the story.

The opening sequence, among others, did not make sense, partially because there is so little dialogue, to begin with. Although it all makes sense, in the end, in principle, it is a bit of a problem. I liked the visual imagery, which mostly came from inside the mind of the main character. Who knows if Joe will ever find some peace or not. Perhaps, Nina, as troubled as she has become, could be something of a surrogate daughter to him. Hopefully, SHE will not continue down the same dark road that HE did. As of now, they just have each other and all the loose ends appear to be tied. You should appreciate “You Were Never Really There” for all of its surface material, but try not to think too much or dig too deep for a lot more. It is, as I see it, a less-successful execution of the aforementioned classics from 2017 and 1976.

Director: Lynne Ramsay
Screenwriter: Lynne Ramsay
Based on: “You Were Never Really Here” by Jonathan Ames
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix as Joe, Ekaterina Samsonov as Votto, John Doman as John McCleary, Judith Roberts as Joe’s Mother and Alessandro Nivola as Governor Williams
Distributor: Amazon Studios
Release date: April 6th, 2018 (in the U.S.)