Mein Name Ist Vendetta

This is a decent foreign thriller about a defected Mafia hitman who resurfaces due to a happenstance of his attempt to lead an anonymous new life. When the Mob discovers he is alive they come after him, and his family, seeking to kill them. Of course it is not that simple. He is not an easy man to kill. Accompanied by his surviving daughter he seeks to finish what he started years earlier. There is a slight similarity in this film, to The Professional, with Jean Renault and Natalie Portman; however, this one is not as good. There is decent action. The cast is decent enough and the cinematography is good. Decent enough, but not the best.

I expected a little more from this revenge flick. But the word Vendetta tricked me. Don't get me wrong. It isn't a bad flick. In fact, it does what it says in the title but the important issue is the father/daughter relation.

Luckily the plot has a twist which made it up for me to find it a good flick. Don't expect a Oscar worthy script. But what it does offer is a really good maffia revenge flick. It never goes over the top.

Compared to so much flicks about father/daughter revenge flicks, Taken is the most spoken about. I shall not do that. But I understand what they mean.

For some it can be on the edge of gore and in fact some killings are indeed in your face on-camera. Smashing heads is never an easy watch...

Gore 2/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy 0/5.

As "My Name Is Vendetta" (2022 release from Italy; 90 min) opens, we are introduced.to the Romeo family, with almost 18 yo Sofia being a little brad who, contrary to her dad's wishes, takes his picture during an camping outing. And next thing we know, that picture is hacked by a Mafia family who has been looking for him... At this point we are 10 min into the movie.

Couple of comments: I can't say that I was familiar with either the director or any of the cast. Turns out this is a straight-forward Italian "Death Wish" reminding crime drama where the bottom line is" 'kill or be killed (literally). In case you didn't pick it up from the movie's title, the dad turns out to be, oh the SHOCK, a one-man killing army, helped by his almost 18 yo daughter. This movie is about as sophisticated as a bull in a china shop, if you know what I mean. All that said, the movie wastes little time and this hour and a half just flew by.

"My Name Is Vendetta" was suggested to me by Netflix and based on that I gave it a shot. This isn't a bad movie, just straight-forward without any surprises whatsoever. If you are in the mood for an Italian revenge crime drama, I'd readily suggest you check it out, and draw your own conclusion.

Although this is not a great film, it's nonetheless, watchable. It's fast-paced with a few heartfelt dramatic moments. The truth is, the plot is straightforward so the viewer should not expect any surprises except perhaps the ending.

There have been revenge films made before. But what could set this apart is that it's a father-and-teenaged daughter affair. It starts in a idyllic setting somewhere in Bolzano (mention is made of Merano which is near the German border). The viewer should find the scenes here quite picturesque. Then, it shifts to an urban setting.

The fight scenes are realistic if not gory; nothing is exaggerated. Santo/Domenico is a mean killing machine who believes that the law is kill or be killed. The action sequences are well-executed.

Alessandro Gassman and Ginebra Francesconi are a good pair. They portray convincingly their roles as doting father and loving daughter, whose teenaged life is abbreviated by ugly circumstances. Gassman fits the role of a punisher. In fact, the vibes of the film is reminiscent of Jon Bernthal's "The Punisher."

If you have time to spare, watch this one.

I think this film is an excellent exercise in action-focused filmmaking. It has very good shots accompanied by good editing that transmit to the audience a dizzying development of the most moving sequences.

Unfortunately the film has a very basic script. It lacks depth. The performances are good, but they are not overly demanded by the story.

The rest of the technical aspects are decent. Nothing stands out too much. Good locations, but perhaps a little poorly used.

In short, My Name is Vendetta is a entertaining movie for those who like the genre. For other audiences, it's a skippable movie.