Repo Men

Be Sure To Pay In Full

[Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Liev Schreiber, Alica Braga]

A rare occasion today. I went to work early, planning a late show with the boys after work. Plans changed, movies were switched, the boys were available, then not. Finally, most of the planets aligned, some boys were able to come, and the original movie selection was on deck at a later time. 

SYNOPSIS:  In a near future, medical advances allow most any part of the body to be replaced... at a price. And if you can't pay the monthly installments and fall behind 90 days, then the repo men come to take back what the company's property. When a repossession job goes bad, one repo man wakes to find he is now a client with an artificial heart, and soon enough, finds himself unable to pay!

I love sci-fi movies, especially those in the near future. From the trailers and commercials, "Repo Men" fit that bill perfectly. I was hesitant about both Jude Law and Forest Whitaker in this type of movie, sci-fi and action together. Even with Whitaker's acting pedigree and Law's work, I was still worried. I should not have given it a second thought. Brutal, bloody and intriguing, this film delivers.

Like other genre films before it, "Repo Men" gives us a glimpse of what is and what could be. With a homage to "Blade Runner" in one of the early panning city shots, the world has failed and come back more capitalistic and self-absorbed... and dominated by the Pacific Rim. When the elementary school has its own dynamic billboard promoting a cola that's "jacked up", you know you are in a effed up society. A mix of "Blade Runner" and "Children of Men", the contrast of neon advertisement and crumbling thrown away decay is always a sign of what we are truly are, but always deny.

Jude Law stars as Remy, a premier repo man working for the "Union", a shady corporation that sells artificial organs on credit. Forest Whitaker joins him in the trade as his childhood friend, Jake. They receive paperwork to collect organs from clients who are 90 days past due on their payments, as well as tracking down extra commissions on their own. Law is buff, burly and all business as he expertly dispatches his clients in collections. Whitaker is just burly, but brings his "The Last King of Scotland" chops to bear. Ironically, the replacement of his real heart with the warranty version only serves to bring more life to the film, as Remy makes the realization of what his life has been about as he stares at it from the other side. 

And if the film is teeming with life, it is tempered with exceptional blood-letting. Each scene of violence and stylized gore is "300" meets "The Matrix". And once the carnage is complete, the viseral aftermath is an affirmation of what is important. The film is balanced with a few laughs, a few 'oh crap' moments, great visuals, good story-telling and believable acting. I figured out the ending before it came, but the ride getting there was worth it.

Movies: Yes

Own: Yes

Rental: sure

Sherlock Holmes

Holmes Is Where The Heart Is

[Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law, Mark Strong]

Its a great weekend for movie going. Everyone's holiday shopping and cooking is done, leaving them more time to sit back in a darkened theatre to witness the spectacle that is cinema. "Avatar" still had long lines and the movie has brought in $600 million worldwide, which is proof that Cameron knows what he's doing.

SYNOPSIS:  Sherlock Holmes and Watson single-handedly bring Lord Blackwood to justice and to the end of the hangman's noose. Soon, though, they are embroiled in another mystery as it appears that Blackwood has returned from the dead to continue his reign of terror.

Director Guy Ritchie brings us his interpretation of the Victorian Era sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, as rarely seen in previous incarnations. Throughout the history of television and film, there have been many versions of Sherlock Holmes, most notable in my book being the detective portrayed by Basil Rathbone in the 1940s and Jeremy Brett in the 1980s. Both of those portrayals showed Sherlock as a prim and proper gentleman, albeit with many faults and traits that lead us to dislike him. Downey's Holmes does not bother to dress the character up in fine robes or demeanor as a means to coat the character's faults. Instead, Ritchie makes Holmes as gritty on the outside as he is on the inside. 

This Sherlock Holmes is also as much physical as he is cerebral, which is quite a departure from previous incarnations. His physicality makes the film more kinetic and balances the slower pace of the mystery plot itself. Even Watson, played by Jude Law, strays from common convention of the overweight character by being as able as his partner. 

Both characters are well-rounded, both in their prowess and in their failings. And Law and Downey continue in the tradition of the strong relationship between the lead characters. But Holmes and Watson are only as strong and effective as the villain placed before them. Mark Strong plays the treacherous Lord Blackwood back from the grave daring Holmes to stop him and his machinations. But is Blackwood the darkest that Holmes must bring back to justice? 

The film is gritty and dark, just as the characters are. Is this version better than those that came before it? Maybe, maybe not. Every Sherlock Holmes fan will have their own preference. But at least this attempt is anything but elementary.

Worth: Matinee and DVD