Category Archives: Revenge

2005, AIDS, Clever Plot, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Gay theme, Mostly About Sex, Psychological Drama, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Wonderful acting

The Dying Gaul (2005)

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From NetFlix:

When Jeffrey (Campbell Scott), a slick Hollywood studio exec, offers gay screenwriter Robert (Peter Sarsgaard) $1 million to transform a screenplay’s homosexual protagonists into heterosexuals, Robert takes the bait — and ends up sleeping in Jeffrey’s bed. But complications ensue when Jeffrey’s wife, Elaine (Patricia Clarkson), begins unraveling her husband’s secrets, with nail-biting consequences. Craig Lucas directs in his feature-film debut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loss of a loved one, infidelity, jealousy, betrayal, and revenge make this tragic gay-themed film an intense experience.

Of the three protagonists, only the wife Elaine, despite her faults, shows a compassionate soul searching for the right thing to do. However, this tragedy would have made Shakespeare proud as each of the three characters move slowly but surely to their deserved sad ends.

Such a well-made and involving gay-themed film deserves a DO NOT MISS!

 

 

2011, Adventure, Based on a Book, British, Crude Talk, DO NOT MISS, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, Fantasy, Made For TV, Nudity, Orchestral Music, Revenge, TV Series, Violent, Vulgar

Game of Thrones (2011)

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From NetFlix:

When a power vacuum emerges in the mythical land of Westeros following mighty King Robert’s death, several noble families, including the Starks, Lannisters and Baratheons, wage war against each other for control of the vacant Iron Throne. Full of political and sexual intrigue, this fantasy series, based on George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels, also chronicles the rise of an ancient evil, which threatens the entire kingdom.

UPDATE: April 2016

Only 5 seasons are available at this time.  Season 6 has not yet appeared.   If you don’t mind violence, nudity, crude language, cruelty, etc. then this series continues to be spellbinding. By this time Peter Dinklage has made his fame with his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister. And those dragons are really cool.

If you want details just go to Wikipedia.

Season One consists of 5 disks. You might not like this series unless you enjoy such guilty pleasures as intrigue, nudity, fantasy, sex, revenge, and violence. In other words: What’s not to like?

Among the huge cast you will notice:

  • Sean Bean (as Eddard Stark) was Boromir in “Lord of the Rings”.
  • Peter Dinklage plays Tyrion Lannister who throughout the story calls himself a dwarf. You might remember him from Death at a Funeral (2007) or The Station Agent (2003)
  • Iain Glen (as Ser Jorah Mormont) appears in many British productions. He was the wonderful villain Vaughan Edwards in part of MI-5

Production values are excellent. Note especially the opening of each episode in which the camera pans an abstract model of the entire mythical kingdom.

If this kind of fantasy is your cup of tea, then I would call “Game of Thrones” as DO NOT MISS!

Could Be Hard To Watch, Could Be Sad, Crime, Crude Talk, Disturbing Image, DO NOT MISS, Drugs, Explicit sexual discussion, French, Gangs, Gay theme, Grim, Limburgish, Nudity, Police Story, Psychological Drama, Race Relations, Revenge, Unusual, Violent

Bullhead (2011)

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From NetFlix:

Tortured by his past and despairing of his stultifying present life, Belgian cattle farmer Jacky becomes entangled in a violent web of deceit involving local mobsters and determined policemen after he uses illegal growth hormones on his herd.

Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts is the perfect choice to play the sadly damaged character Jacky Vanmarsenille in this film spoken in Limburgish and French. His facial expressions capture Jacky’s shame, longing, loneliness, shyness, and rage. To say why he feels these emotions would be a major spoiler. Through a series of flashbacks you learn his past history. Expect some very violent scenes.

Although you may find all the crime details confusing, they really are not very original or important. Jacky is important along with those characters associated with his tragic life.

Much of the violence stems from traditional racial hatreds between the many distinct communities, each with its own language.

Bullhead was on the 2012 list of Best Foreign Language Film of the Year.

In retrospect, the ending chosen for the story is quite probably the only possible conclusion.

If you can accept the sadness, violence, and somewhat brutish characters,

DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!

2011, Ancient Rome, Historical Fiction, Military, Revenge, Shakespeare, War

Coriolanus (2011)

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From NetFlix:

Actor Ralph Fiennes makes his directorial debut with this modern update of Shakespeare’s tale about the arrogant general who is banished by the republic he has protected at all costs, provoking him to ally with former foes and wreck a bloody revenge.

Purists may be displeased with this modern adaptation, but then there is no pleasing those literary Luddites. “Modern” here means current soldier’s uniforms and weapons. However, the text is a subset of the Shakespeare original. Sometimes an obsolete word has been changed to a word that we can understand. Nothing is lost from the essence of the story.

Vocal delivery is crisp for the most part. However, Gerard Butler is just not trained for Shakespeare. His delivery is not as clear as the other actors and he uses a soft Scottish accent, perhaps trying to be seem different as one of the Volces or Volscians.

Vanessa Redgrave, who plays Volumnia (the mother of Coriolanus), was 74 during the filming. Making no effort to disguise her age, she is soft-spoken but forceful.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) wrote Coriolanus in 1607. Coriolanus, the character, has been called perverse as a brave general who so despised the common Roman that when called upon to be a Consul because of his heroic stance in battle, he joined the other side (the Volces). Possibly because of this unusual plot the play has never been as popular as his other plays.

Two hours of film intended for staunch Shakespeare fans.

2007, Psychological Drama, Redemption, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense

First Snow (2007)

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From NetFlix:

A roadside psychic shares two predictions with overconfident salesman Jimmy Starks, and one of them — that he’ll be hit with a major windfall — seems to be coming true. Now, Jimmy must prepare for the other, more ominous part of the prophecy.

When I think of Guy Pearce I think of extreme tension, psychic stress, and physical torment. Indeed this taut film is no exception. You probably remember him as the tortured lead in “Momento”. He is no less tortured in “First Snow” which joins the long list of forgotten but worthwhile films.

J.K. Simmons plays the fortune teller. His film credentials are ample and recognizable. For only one example, he is Kyra Sedgwick’s boss in “The Closer”. At the very end of the film we see Shea Whigham deliver an impressive cameo as Vincent, Jimmy Starks’ despairing buddy.

What did Mae West say: “So many films, so little time”? (No, wait, that was not quite correct).

2011, Based on true facts, Could Be Hard To Watch, Disturbing Image, Explicit sex, Grim, Love Story, Military, Not Feel Good, Nudity, Rape, Revenge, Sadism, Torture, Violent, War, Wonderful acting

In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011)

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From NetFlix:

Danijel, a Bosnian Serb soldier serving under his father’s command, reunites with Ajla, a Bosnian Muslim woman he was involved with before the war, when she is captured by his camp and forced to work as a sex slave.

Most wars are not one-sided. Of course, there are exceptions: the Nazi Holocaust was one-sided. Behind the Serbian slaughter of the Bosnians are many years of conflicts and offenses on both sides. History is not the point here, but rather the review of a film.

Angelina Jolie has done a marvelous job creating an engrossing view of the war as seen from the side of the Serb killers while maintaining a clever ambivalence in the experience of Danijel. Danijel’s relation with his fanatic warrior father and Ajla, his Muslim lover, make for a difficult contrast. He is so torn between both loyalties that he finds himself trapped in personal conflict.

You are hereby warned that this is, to say the least, a difficult film to watch. If you are the slightest bit squeamish, DO NOT SEE THIS FILM! You will encounter nudity, many rapes (one of the principle Serbian weapons), and Serbian sadism.

For this film to have a satisfying end would be impossible.

2011, Dark, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, Kidnapping, Medical Theme, Mostly About Sex, Not Recommended, Nudity, Plot Twist, Rape, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Spanish, Unusual, Violent

The Skin I Live In (2011)

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From NetFlix:

Brilliant plastic surgeon Robert Ledgard seeks to overcome the grief of his late wife’s disfigurement in a fiery car crash by inventing skin that’s impervious to injury. But his experiments on a living woman hasten his descent into madness.

Only Almodóvar could dream up such a weird film. Of course, sexual ambiguity is his specialty. An aging Antonio Banderas plays a somewhat expressionless jack-of-all-trades surgeon who does creepy things with his scalpel. Half way through the story there is a plot twist that I did not expect. This twist (a bit tough to experience) changes whatever you thought you understood. For me the ending was like a METRO bus that just came to the end of the line, i.e. it just stopped.

Expect to see two rapes, much nudity, and a story that is not for everyone.

1992, British Mystery Series, Clever Plot, DO NOT MISS, Gritty, Lawyers, Made For TV, Rape, Revenge, TV Series

The Guilty (1992)

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From NetFlix:

Wildly disparate lives converge in this two-part television thriller about a respected London barrister facing a career-ending rape charge and a punk ex-con caught up in a dangerous conspiracy while searching for his biological father.

Michael Kitchen is probably best know to you as Foyle of the British TV series “Foyle’s War” which is a must-see in its own right. Foyle is the good guy. However, in “The Guilty” Michael Kitchen plays the London barrister-rapist Steven Vey who is definitely the bad guy. He portrays perfectly a cynical cad caught up in his own evil past.

His victims come together by twists of fate in this clever plot. Stay tuned to see what happens to the lawyer-as-monster.

Two DVD disks from NetFlix offer English subtitles.

DO NOT MISS !

2011, Car Chase, Frenetic, Redemption, Revenge, Sci-Fi, Suspense, Violent

In Time (2011)

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From NetFlix:

In a near future where aging stops at 25, time is the new currency and the wealthy can live forever. When Will Salas inherits decades of life from a wealthy murdered man, he’s pegged as the suspect by the corrupt Time Keepers, who enforce the law.

Each person’s forearm shows how much time that person has to live. You can earn, steal, give, and buy things with time. For me this was a novel theme although the idea has probably been used elsewhere.

Rich people live forever, poor people die young. Probably the plot intends an analogy with the corruption of our current financial world.

Justin Timberlake is convincing as an angry, honest, poor, and of course invincible crusader. Amanda Seyfried is OK as his sparring partner and love interest.

Net Flix got it wrong. The Time Keeper (Cillian Murphy) was un-corruptible to the point of death. But he was misguidedly enforcing a corrupt system. You can watch Cillian Murphy in Retreat (2011) with a wonderful Irish brogue.

Possibly a “B” film but fun anyway!

2010, British, Bullying, Crime, Gangs, Grim, Love Story, Revenge, Sadism, Suspense, Violent

London Boulevard (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Golden Globe winner Colin Farrell (In Bruges) stars in this gritty crime drama as Mitchell, a recently paroled ex-con whose attempt at straight life includes taking a job as a handyman for a reclusive young starlet (Keira Knightley). Based on author Ken Bruen’s critically acclaimed novel, this adaptation marks the directorial debut of Academy Award-winning screenwriter William Monahan (The Departed).

For me this film represents Colin Farrell’s best acting yet. As a strong character who will not be bullied, even by the sociopath Gant (played by Ray Winstone). In fact the best scenes are when Gant in several attempts tries to force Colin Farrell (recently released from prison for GBH) into a life of crime and you get to watch Farrell’s facial reactions that change from something like an indifferent stare into an angry, unflinching defiance.

Keira Knightley plays a fragile actress beseiged by paparrazi. Eventually Farrell falls for her in some very tender scenes.

More than anything, Farrell protects and avenges his friends. It is this fidelity that is somewhat his undoing. Expect a surprise ending.

Violent but compelling.