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March 31, 2010
Alejandro Montalvo
The year is not defined. The country isn’t really the United States, just a paradox version. And apparently, the entire health-care of this nation is run by a greedy, evil conglomerate called The Union.
The Union will sell you artificial organs for every part of the body with a reasonable payment plan that suits your income. Or, at least, that’s what they tell you. Then, when you slow up on payments, The Union reclaims their property, from your body, without proper surgery. This, essentially, is the film Repo Men.
Starring the always likable British Jude Law, and his American counter-part, Forest Whitaker, Repo Men is a good idea with terrible execution. It can be considered original, except for the fact that a rock opera film called Repo: The Genetic Opera! milked this plot back in 2008. However, no lawsuits are forthcoming so it’s clear.
The shortcomings of this film are, sadly, the very things that the production company is marketing it for: Action. This is not an action film. There is quite a bit of blood, a lot of blood in fact. An excess of blood, as the camera does not shy away from showing, say, a repossession of an artificial kidney.
During frantic fight scenes, deep red blood seems to gush and spurt out of people unnaturally. This film is not for the squeamish. There is an attempt at a romantic sub-plot, but the chemistry between Jude Law and Alice Braga is extremely weak. Their cheesy intimate scenes are very poorly scripted and acted.
The ending, depending on how one is feeling about the film up to this point, can either ruin the entire experience, or complete it with a nice bow. The ending, to me, felt like a direct lift off the ending to Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, and if you’ve seen Brazil you know what I’m talking about.
In short, do not take a date to see this film. In fact, wait for the DVD if you feel you have to see this film. It isn’t worth the outrageous box-office ticket price. Trust me, I’m from The Union. Verdict: C-
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