Jonathan Ames’ novella, You Were Never ReallyHere is a gritty, stripped down portrait of a man wounded in nearly
every way imaginable. At a hair over 90 pages, it’s spare and efficient. It
evokes feel and tone and mood and emotion, hinting at a brutal history for its
protagonist, simply named Joe, rather than offering overt explanation and
detailed backstory. It’s sparse, but leaves a distinct lingering impression.
And in the hands of director Lynne Ramsey (We Need to Talk about
Kevin), it makes for a similarly tight, impactful film. Bleak and
grim, it’s also a human, tender story about baptism, rebirth, and being
repurposed.
