A big corporation known as The Union provides people with hope, dreams, and life by selling synthetic, robotic organs to replace their old and decrepit ones for a hefty price. When people can't keep up with the payments, The Union sends the "Repo Men" to retrieve their product any way they can. When "Repo Man" Jude Law finds himself with a Union heart and can't keep up with the payments, he goes on the run from his Repo friend Forest Whitaker and former Repo boss Liev Schreiber alongside his artificial organ-filled new lady friend Alice Braga. Let the Repo hunt begin!
There's a lot more than meets the eye going on in "Repo Men", and that's part of why the film mostly works. On one level, it's a hardcore sci-fi thriller, one that's aimed at a more adult audience, featuring exciting chase scenes; gritty knifes fights, a somewhat sappy love story, and plenty of humor. On another level, it's a grim and cynical look at the state of the world we live in, and a nightmarish glance at where we could be headed, in terms of both the economic and political climate.
But don't think of this as an action movie; while there is action in it, there's not enough for it to be considered an "action movie." It's more like a chase movie with a little less chase than expected and a little more of nothing going on whatsoever, that's the film's biggest flaw. Both Whitaker and Schreiber, each delivered fine performances as the film's not-so-obvious antagonists. Whitaker is funny yet savage, playing a guy who's scary and a little off balance, yet a guy you wish you were friends with. The chemistry between Whitaker and Law is that of a well-orchestrated buddy cop movie. Schreiber plays the greasy salesman masterfully, making him both a despicable and likable guy you can't help but love to hate. Besides the unconvincing love story between Law and Braga (which isn't worth getting into), and the film's bore of a second act, "Repo Men" is an enjoyable sci-fi thriller that could have benefited from a little more action and a little less moping around. The film kicks off hard and ends with a bang, and features a cool concept, cool characters, and just the right amount of humor.
When I saw this movie, I came out with a mix of emotions ranging from awe to utter rage. While I admit that the story was both intriguing and unique (and somewhat well written), I can't forgive how it ended. I walked out of the theater feeling robbed, almost like someone just ripped the pants off of me in some back alley and was left to roam the streets half naked.
ReplyDelete