Category Archives: Revenge

2010, Ancient Rome, Historical Fiction, Military, Revenge, Suspense, Torture, Violent, War

Centurion (2010)

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From NetFlix:

In 2nd-century Britain, Roman fighter Quintas Dias (Michael Fassbender) is the lone survivor of a Pictish attack on a Roman frontier post. Eager for revenge, he joins the Ninth Legion — under General Virilus (Dominic West) — and journeys north on a mission to destroy the Picts. Writer-director Neil Marshall’s rousing sword-and-sandals adventure also stars Olga Kurylenko as the beautiful Pict warrior Etain.

There is a point to this film, something like “ET Go Home”.

Traipsing (or actually running breathlessly to avoid being eaten by wolves or slaughtered by Picts) through beautiful forests, fields, and mountains, the only thing these poor survivors of the Roman Ninth Legion want to do is leave nasty northern Britain and go home.

As usual our wanderers are superb (dare I say, super-hero) fighters who, unfortunately, for the most part eventually die. In fact, the entire film is for the most part just watching their demise, one by one.

For me Olga Kurylenko was just plain silly: lady, get a better makeup artist! Michael Fassbender was Lieutenant Archie Hicox in Inglourious Basterds (2009).

No spoilers allowed: stick around for an ending that surprised me.

For what it is worth, I give you this quote from IMDB:

German archaeologists have found evidence of the Ninth legion on the banks of the River Rhine and carbon dated them long after these events took place suggesting that rather than them being wiped out, the reason that there is no evidence of them being in Scotland after these battles is that they moved to Germany.

2008, Acceptable Trash, Car Chase, Gangs, Kidnapping, Revenge, Super Hero, Suspense, Torture, Violent

Taken (2008)

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From NetFlix:

While vacationing with a friend in Paris, an American girl (Maggie Grace) is kidnapped by a gang of human traffickers intent on selling her into forced prostitution. Working against the clock, her ex-spy father (Liam Neeson) must pull out all the stops to save her. But with his best years possibly behind him, the job may be more than he can handle. Famke Janssen also stars in this relentless action-thriller from director Pierre Morel.

Perhaps we should rate these kidnap-revenge films by body count. Either Man on Fire (2004) or this film might be clear winners. In fact both films share a common laughable trait: Denzel Washington in the former and Liam Neeson in this film are presented as outrageous superheros who never fail in each encounter with villainous bad guys. Liam Neeson never met a neck he couldn’t break. Only once is our hero trapped (in a Parisian underground auction house for kidnapped virgins to be purchased by shieks) and even then his chains pull miraculously from the ceiling.

Perhaps we should rate these films by stereotypes encountered. In “Man on Fire” Mexico was the cliché target. In this film consider:

  • Albanians are genetically inclined to kidnap well-off young female tourists in order to make them drug addicts and prostitutes.
  • French bureaucrats are mostly corrupt.
  • Wealthy sheiks purchase kidnapped virgins for their evil purposes
  • You really don’t love your daughter unless you give her a horse on one of her birthdays.
  • American spy operatives are in such incredible physical shape that they can outrun automobiles (and speeding bullets).
  • And the list goes on.

My big disappointment was that in the end our hero did not taunt his ex-wife with a really nasty “I told you so!”. And, by the way, the lead up to his agreeing to let his 17 year old daughter travel with a (really dizzy) girl friend to Paris is well done.

Despite all these objections, I was glued to the screen. But then I LOVE TRASH

2004, Crime, Drama, Gangs, Kidnapping, Redemption, Revenge, Suspense, Violent

Man on Fire (2004)

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From NetFlix:

Jaded ex-CIA operative John Creasy (Denzel Washington) reluctantly accepts a job as the bodyguard for a 10-year-old girl (Dakota Fanning) in Mexico City. They clash at first, but eventually bond, and when she’s kidnapped he’s consumed by fury and will stop at nothing to save her life. Tony Scott directs this thriller about a demoralized soul whose sense of purpose is reawakened by a human connection. Christopher Walken and Mickey Rourke co-star.

Seeing one kidnapping film is almost tantamount to seeing all of them. Plot twists keep this kidnapping adventure alive. Also the secondary (primary ?) theme of John Creasy finding something worth living for helps to hold the plot together. Violent revenge takes over after the kidnapping which disappointed me because I thought Creasy was trying to rise above his life of killing. Assumedly the justification is that the action takes place in Mexico which is so corrupt that our American notion of law and justice has no meaning. Unfortunately that is a fairly accurate description of Mexico.

Dakota Fanning as the girl Pita is her usual cute self. I wonder what kind of actress she will eventually become. Denzel Washington plays Denzel Washington.

2009, Child Molestation, Conspiracy, Crime, Detective, Drama, Rape, Revenge, Suspense, Swedish, Violent

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest (2009)

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From NetFlix:

Third in a trio of films inspired by Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium Trilogy,” this thriller follows feisty computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) as she finds herself hospitalized, suspected of murder and targeted for death by thugs. Meanwhile, Lisbeth’s journalist pal, Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), crusades to prove her innocence. Daniel Alfredson directs this film that also stars Lena Endre and Jacob Ericksson

My NetFlix version offered not only English subtitles but also English dubbing.

Although the third book in Larsson’s trilogy seemed procedural and not as exciting as the first two books, the third film was not boring. Probably for me what kept the tension going was the need to see Salander vindicated. In a certain sense it all seemed to work out too easily. At the very least, seeing Dr. Teleborian get his comeuppance was very satisfying.

For the most part the film was faithful to the book while omitting certain unimportant details. For example, her wounded father, Zalachenko, does not roam the hospital hall trying to get at Salander. Nor could the treatment of her clandestine use of technology in her hospital room be so elaborate.

Only in one instance do I object: without giving anything away, in the last part of the film Niedermann is given a different solution from that planned by Larsson in order to continue the series.

If you’ve seen the first two installments, how can you not watch the conclusion ?

2009, Crime, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Italian, Mafia, Redemption, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, True Story, Violent

The Sicilian Girl (2009)

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From NetFlix:

In this taut drama based on a true story, 17-year-old Rita (Veronica D’Agostino) is leading a privileged life when her father and brother are slain by rival Mafiosi. Bent on revenge, she turns to a sympathetic magistrate (Gérard Jugnot) and breaks the code of silence. In her journey from self-centered teenager to fearless advocate for justice, Rita enrages Sicily’s most powerful men, putting her life in jeopardy.

Probably the biggest impression I got from this amazing enactment of a true story was how all-encompassing and soul-destroying is the Mafia cult. For Rita the real stumbling block was accepting the fact that her adored father was no less a brutal and cruel assassin than all the other animals. Her own mother did her best to convince Rita to not testify even though the Mafia had killed Rita’s father and brother.

Also awe inspiring was the bravery of Rita and the prosecutor and all the other law enforcement staff. Human life means nothing to the Mafia.

Be prepared for a surprise (and true) ending.

2010, Australian, Car Chase, Crime, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Grim, Lawyers, Police Story, Revenge, Slow, Suspense, Violent

Animal Kingdom (2010)

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From NetFlix:

When his mother dies suddenly, a 17-year-old boy (James Frecheville) finds himself drawn into the clutches of a diabolical criminal family, until a good-hearted detective (Guy Pearce) makes a concerted effort to change the boy’s fate. Australian writer-director David Michôd’s first feature-length drama won the World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival

How lucky I was to stumble on this gem of a film! Confirming my excited impressions are all the rave reviews in the Wikipedia article.

Instead of Joshua, the boy is called simply ‘J’. For this entire Australian film, the character J is practically mute. We can only assume that some awful battle is taking place inside. When he speaks it is usually some terse (i.e. one word) answer such as ‘yeah’, spoken with a strong Australian accent. Not all the characters are terse, especially if they are hopped up on cocaine.

Suspense is palpable, especially because J is trapped in a herd of unbalanced and unrestrained uncles who are guided, encouraged, and protected by a menacingly evil grandmother Smurf. Understand: this is a very controlled film atmosphere. There are violence, drug use, and insanity in a film that is mostly quiet, SLOW, and threatening.

Expect two surprising plot twists. Do NOT read the Wikipedia summary first because it will spoil these surprises.

Most memorable moment for me: Catch the interchange between Guy Pearce and the grandmother in the supermarket toward the end of the film.

Toward the end be sure to catch Guy Pierce asking J if J has “found his place in the world” and then ask yourself what that really meant when the film reaches its startling conclusion.

I highly recommend this film!

2010, Car Chase, Crime, Detective, Drama, Drugs, Gangs, Love Story, Redemption, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Violent, Vulgar

The Town (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Career bank robber Doug (Ben Affleck) and his volatile partner, Jim (Jeremy Renner), hit a roadblock when Doug falls for bank manager Claire (Rebecca Hall), whom he kidnapped during their last heist. Worse, an FBI agent (Jon Hamm) is now trailing the thieves around their Charlestown, Mass., territory. Affleck directs and co-writes this smart, intricate actioner that co-stars Blake Lively as Krista, Jim’s sister and Doug’s troubled former flame.

No doubt about it, Ben Affleck shows how multi-talented he is in this adaptation from Chuck Hogan’s novel “Prince of Thieves”!

Yes, there are the mandatory car chases, sex scenes, shoot outs at the OK Coral, etc. But I was always rooting for Affleck’s character Doug, hoping he could turn his life around. However, cooperative crime is a trap, once a member always a member. Somehow his relation with Claire adds something distinct about the film (but then there is always “On the Waterfront”).

Jan Hamm is wonderfully forceful as the FBI lead agent. It’s nice to see him as something other than one of the “Mad Men”.

One of my favorite villains, he plays “The Florist”, is the Cheshire, England born-and-raised Pete Postlethwaite (I wonder how you pronounce that name). His final end in this film is very satisfying.

Please read the Wikipedia article which tries hard to dispel the myth that Charlestown remains a breeding ground for criminals. Too bad the article didn’t explain how they filmed all those destructive car chases.

My one real objection is that at the end of the film (this is not a spoiler) Doug has arranged too many clever details. And just when, amidst the shooting, did he have time for those arrangements?

2010, Conspiracy, Crime, Detective, Drama, Love Story, Rape, Revenge, Spanish, Suspense, Violent

The Secret in Their Eyes (2010)

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From NetFlix:

A startling discovery comes to light for retired Argentine criminal investigator Benjamín Espósito (Ricardo Darín) as he pens a biographical novel about the unsolved case of a young newlywed’s brutal rape and murder years ago. Past and present intertwine for Espósito and colleague Irene Menéndez Hastings (Soledad Villamil) in director Juan José Campanella’s Oscar-winning character study in which justice, pain and love collide.

Compare this film with The Official Story (1985). Both deal with the corruption that is Argentina. “The Secret” occurs during the time of Eva Perón and therefore in the 1940’s and 50′. “The Official Story” takes place a few years after the “Dirty War” and there in the 1980’s.

Obsession with justice and an inability to forget the past is the prevailing theme. Corruption during the era of Perón accounts for the difficulty Espósito finds in obtaining justice.

Some dialog is wonderful witty banter. Some dialog shows the ugliness inherent in the Argentinian culture. The acting is wonderful.

On one level this is a story of frustrated love. On another level it is about obsession with justice. On another level it is about official corruption.

At many points I assumed the film had ended. But wait … there’s more! Finally there is a surprise ending that you may or may not expect. Sorry, no spoilers !

2009, Bullying, Could Be Hard To Watch, Danish, Drama, Explicit sex, Gay theme, Nudity, Revenge, Suspense, Violent

Brotherhood (2009)

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From NetFlix:

After joining a neo-Nazi organization, former Danish army officer Lars (Thure Lindhardt) falls for Jimmy (David Dencik), a fellow skinhead who can’t ignore the sexual sparks flying between them — or forget the importance of keeping their relationship under wraps. Nicolo Donato makes his directorial debut with this affecting tale of violence and illicit passion that took the top prize at the Rome Film Festival.

To appreciate one theme in this film you should be aware that Danish Neo-Nazis are alive and well as we speak. In fact Steig Larsson in his Millenium trilogy refers to the Danish Neo-Nazi movement.

As opposing theme, gay male sex is supposedly “verboten” in the Nazi culture. In one amusing scene Lars explains to the Nazi group leader how pervasive the gay culture was among the German Nazis. Of course the group leader cannot accept such a notion.

Much violence occurs in the film. Suspense exists throughout because at any moment Lars and Jimmy might be discovered. Do not expect a happy ending.

As gay films go, this is one of the best I have seen because it avoids all of the usual gay cliches (for example, not a word about AIDS). There are explicit nude scenes of (unsafe) gay sex.

One interesting sub-theme is one of self-doubt: Jimmy initially is reluctant to engage in gay sex. Lars is never really certain he wants to join the Nazi group.

Hollywood looks need not apply here. In fact, Jimmy’s drug-addicted brother could easily pass for a very skinny vampire.

Danish with English subtitles.

2008, Conspiracy, Could Be Hard To Watch, Detective, Occasional gore, Plot Twist, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Violent

Tell Tale (2008)

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From NetFlix:

In this thriller inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Josh Lucas stars as Terry, a single dad who’s kept alive by another man’s heart — a scenario that suits him fine until he discovers that the ticker’s original owner was murdered. Worried that he might come to a similar end, Terry embarks on a desperate search for the donor’s killer in this Michael Cuesta-helmed film produced by Ridley and Tony Scott.

At first I thought this would be a B-grade forgettable film and perhaps it is. However, it was compelling enough that I stayed glued to the screen. Your opinion would be appreciated if you ever watch this film. There are just too many other better films to watch.

While not offering any spoiler to this mystery plus vengeance film, it does seem that lately I have watched many films with a theme of organ transplant (“Repo Men”, “Never Let Me Go”, “Dirty Pretty Things”). I was a bit put off by the vigilante aspects of the film, but it is just a story.

There is one very gory scene toward the end which I cannot discuss without spoiling.

With my poor hearing and because there were no subtitles available, I had trouble understanding how the detective was complicit in the plot. Help would be appreciated.