ing subject. Una offers little in
the way of insight into either a
pedophile or his victim, and the
strained and theatrical dialogue
dilutes the sense of realism nec-
essary for a narrative of this na-
ture. There are more than a few
character actions that strain cre-
dulity. An impromptu sex scene
between the adult Una and Ray
in the locker room of the lat-
ter’s workplace is unintention-
ally laughable, a point at which
the film can never recover. More
baffling is a decision on the part
NJ STAGE 2017 - Vol. 4 No. 9
of Ray that sets him up for expo-
sure by placing Una in the care
of co-worker Scott (a wasted Riz
Ahmed).
Struggling with an unconvinc-
ing British accent, Mara delivers
what might be the weakest per-
formance of her short but pro-
lific career. It doesn’t help that
her character is one-note and
under developed, another in cin-
ema’s long line of ‘crazy’ women.
More convincing is Ruby Stokes,
who plays the 13-year-old Una in
flashbacks that prompt uncom-
INDEX
NEXT ARTICLE
83