Repo Men
2.5/4
Starring: Jude Law, Forest Whittaker, Alice Braga, Liev Schreiber, Carice van Houten
The version being reviewed is the unrated one. For the record, the theatrical cut was rated R for Strong Bloody Violence, Grisly Images, Language and Some Sexuality/Nudity
If the health care fiasco in the US wasn't so corrupt and bloodthirsty, the satirical bent of the plot would be funny. But, since health insurance companies place their greed over human life, it's almost possible to believe that if the technology for artificial organs on demand existed, there might be a company like The Union.
The Union is a company that, for a price, will give you an artificial organ. "You owe it to yourself. You owe it to your family," they say to nervous customers. And they have a right to be. The prices are obscenely high (600K+ for a pancreas, for example), but the interest is obscene (in one case, it's 19% to start). But since the customers don't have a choice, they sign on the dotted line. And if you can't pay your bill, they send the Repo Men to take it from you.
Remy (Law) and Jake (Whittaker) have been best friends for years. They're also partners for The Union as Repo Men. They don't care about the fact that the people whose organs they repossess usually die because, "A job's a job." That philosophy changes for Remy when a repossession goes wrong and he has to have his heart replaced. Being a person with an artificial organ personalizes the experience for Remy, and he's unable to do the job anymore. Unfortunately for him, that means that he is unable to pay the bill, so he's forced to go on the run. He meets up with Beth (Braga), who has more artificial organs than real ones, and they plan to take back their lives.
The acting isn't the best, mainly because the characters are so thin. Jude Law coasts on his charisma, which is considerable. He's not being lazy like he had been when his career went into a standstill, but this is not his best work (which, by the way, would be his breakthrough performance in "The Talented Mr. Ripley"). There are times, like when Remy is fooling around, where he seems miscast. Forest Whitaker is also solid, but not spectacular. He appears to be having fun playing a man of limited intelligence and be able to kick ass. Alice Braga is in top form as usual, and her accent doesn't hamper her performance. Sadly, Carice van Houten gets the short end of the stick; all she has to do is play Remy's bitchy wife, and she's only around for a few scenes. The best of the lot is Liev Schreiber. Normally a low-key character actor ("The Manchurian Candidate" remake, "The Omen" remake, etc.). He has a lot of fun chewing the scenery as Remy and Jake's boss, Frank. The film really comes alive when he's on screen.
First-time director Miguel Sapochnik has a gift for action scenes and special effects. While not revolutionary, they are cool to look at and the action scenes are kinetic and bloody enough to get the adrenaline pumping to an acceptable amount. If only he knew more about pacing. The middle portion, where Remy is having a crisis of conscience while awaiting the Repo Man goes on for far too long. Cut 10 minutes off and you'd have a decent movie.
The plot is derivative, yes, but it's guilty fun (especially the sex scene at the end, which is so gross that it could be called a parody).
Starring: Jude Law, Forest Whittaker, Alice Braga, Liev Schreiber, Carice van Houten
The version being reviewed is the unrated one. For the record, the theatrical cut was rated R for Strong Bloody Violence, Grisly Images, Language and Some Sexuality/Nudity
If the health care fiasco in the US wasn't so corrupt and bloodthirsty, the satirical bent of the plot would be funny. But, since health insurance companies place their greed over human life, it's almost possible to believe that if the technology for artificial organs on demand existed, there might be a company like The Union.
The Union is a company that, for a price, will give you an artificial organ. "You owe it to yourself. You owe it to your family," they say to nervous customers. And they have a right to be. The prices are obscenely high (600K+ for a pancreas, for example), but the interest is obscene (in one case, it's 19% to start). But since the customers don't have a choice, they sign on the dotted line. And if you can't pay your bill, they send the Repo Men to take it from you.
Remy (Law) and Jake (Whittaker) have been best friends for years. They're also partners for The Union as Repo Men. They don't care about the fact that the people whose organs they repossess usually die because, "A job's a job." That philosophy changes for Remy when a repossession goes wrong and he has to have his heart replaced. Being a person with an artificial organ personalizes the experience for Remy, and he's unable to do the job anymore. Unfortunately for him, that means that he is unable to pay the bill, so he's forced to go on the run. He meets up with Beth (Braga), who has more artificial organs than real ones, and they plan to take back their lives.
The acting isn't the best, mainly because the characters are so thin. Jude Law coasts on his charisma, which is considerable. He's not being lazy like he had been when his career went into a standstill, but this is not his best work (which, by the way, would be his breakthrough performance in "The Talented Mr. Ripley"). There are times, like when Remy is fooling around, where he seems miscast. Forest Whitaker is also solid, but not spectacular. He appears to be having fun playing a man of limited intelligence and be able to kick ass. Alice Braga is in top form as usual, and her accent doesn't hamper her performance. Sadly, Carice van Houten gets the short end of the stick; all she has to do is play Remy's bitchy wife, and she's only around for a few scenes. The best of the lot is Liev Schreiber. Normally a low-key character actor ("The Manchurian Candidate" remake, "The Omen" remake, etc.). He has a lot of fun chewing the scenery as Remy and Jake's boss, Frank. The film really comes alive when he's on screen.
First-time director Miguel Sapochnik has a gift for action scenes and special effects. While not revolutionary, they are cool to look at and the action scenes are kinetic and bloody enough to get the adrenaline pumping to an acceptable amount. If only he knew more about pacing. The middle portion, where Remy is having a crisis of conscience while awaiting the Repo Man goes on for far too long. Cut 10 minutes off and you'd have a decent movie.
The plot is derivative, yes, but it's guilty fun (especially the sex scene at the end, which is so gross that it could be called a parody).
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