Vengeance Is Mine

Nothing better than to watch a movie that involves you in the watching experience without the use of words, its trance like. You are engrossed in the action and the characters without hearing them say what they are thinking or feeling, thats a real skill so kudos to this team.

I see that there is a discussion going on wether its dream or not, I have to say it did niggle me a tad when I was watching it thinking the same thing and to see other people are saying its a dream makes me think, BUT wether its a dream or not its still a clever little movie.

Audiences are incredibly familiar with revenge films because it is a reoccurring common theme in movies, BUT Hadi Hajaig's Vengeance is Mine is one of those rare movies that feels unique. Vengeance is Mine stands out easily from your standard revenge flicks in various ways. First, we aren't given much of a a background (apart from some rapid flashbacks) of what is going on in the story and as the action takes place we get some hints of what happened to the main protagonist. Second, the main character played by Con O'Neill isn't your typical Hollywood hero. It's evident this dude doesn't know what he is doing and is a total scared amateur. He makes many many mistakes that sometimes it becomes a bit laugh out loud funny. It also shows us his humanity and allows us to identify and really care for him. He is incredibly different from other characters we see in this movie genre that are highly qualified for the violent task (think of Denzel Washington in The Equalizer, or Keanu Reeves in John Wick, or the Charles Bronson Death Wish films). O'Neill's Harry doesn't really know what the hell he is doing but he is ferociously determined to get his revenge. He's a normal guy who has been viciously hurt by a traumatic event in his past. The film takes its time to eventually buildup the character and his actions. It is a quiet and toned down film so when the violent scenes arrive they shock you in their brutality. It also differs from other revenge movies in that we don't see Harry get a sense of joyous satisfaction and his violent actions only complicate things more. Hajaig has managed to craft an incredibly unique revenge film which is more of a steady character study than anything else. He not only directed this film but he was also the writer, producer and editor, so this is entirely his baby.

I did not know much about this movie before going into it but I am glad I got a chance to see it because it was quite a unique jarring experience. Con O'Neill delivers an outstanding lead acting performance and he should get offered many more roles in films in the future. The film pretty much entirely revolves around his tragic character and he is practically in every scene of the film. He is what keeps us totally invested in the film during the quieter periods and the few lines he has are delivered pitch perfectly in the film.

The Europeans have a knack of gripping you in films about lonely disconnected characters who are suffering some sort of crisis who then emerge from ashes of some sort of grief and then seek revenge and it usually takes place slowly and VISUALLY and this is a fine example of that.

Telling a story in pictures seems to be something American film makers have forgotten, they are riddled with tons and tons of dialogue, Irving the explainer film making.

In this film you are given the info and you put the pieces together yourself, treating the audience with respect in that they have some intelligence.

The whole dream thing did occur to me but I continued watching, that shot of the beach at the end could be heaven or it could be just a shot of a beach.

A deeply tense and taught thriller that puts you along side Harry as all the events unfold. I am very accustomed to the actions of characters of your typical Hollywood revenge thrillers that in my mind I was intensely screaming at Harry's actions when the **IT, hit the fan. Then the realization came, this is not a film where the lead character becomes a fuel raged unstoppable hero suddenly becoming an expert on how to kill. But another fantastic element is that he is a dream like state and doesn't really know what is going on around him and hallucinates all sorts of imagery in quiet moments and in violent moment. This is why European thrillers are so cool compared to our USA product and the Brits excel at it.

The surreal quietness is very intense in this film and you just focus everything on the films characters. That is how excellent the directing and the screenplay are, the movie is not afraid of the silence. You become completely aware of how fast your heart is beating in the deadly silence. The direction by Hadi Hajaig was handled expertly and was a true feast for the eyes. Gorgeous cinematography and his utilization of natural light made it easy to get lost in the movie. There are scenes that will make you wriggle and squirm and there are humorous tension releasing moments, that is how tight the script is and you are relieved that you have those moments. Everyone in this cast is on point, I did not feel one off key from any of actors. The gamut of emotions that run through Harry's (Con O'Neill) eyes alone is worth the price of admission. There are some great actor finds Anton Saunders as an unredeemable and terrifying character in the film. Plaudits to the whole unheard of cast. The score from Sarah Lynch is haunting and never over powers a given scene. I know I am gushing over this movie, but if you can talk and truly think about a film long after the lights have come up then gush I must about it!

Do yourself a favor and see it and be kind to your friends and tell them about it and watch it with them. You are guaranteed a long conversation over drinks afterward. This is not a standard revenge film, yes it bleeds a lot of red, but it also bleeds true emotions.

An Indie Film isn't just a movie which is thought of as a limited budgeted venture without big shot studios at its helm. When one hears the term "Indie" one is instantaneously thrown off course. Watch Vengeance is Mine and it will forever change the way one perceives Indies.

Let me throw a few titles at you. THE DESCENT, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, MEMENTO, THE PASSION OF THE Christ, MEAN STREETS & THE TERMINATOR are some of the most stringent budgeted productions seen in the past decades. Vengeance is Mine does not have an A-List director to its name as some of the titles mentioned above. Instead The director can be considered an amateur with comparison to the Coens, Scorsese or Cameron. But still Vengeance is Mine is one of the most absurdly intense and realistic movies of 2021. Slow off the blocks Vengeance is Mine progresses at a slow pace focusing on the mysterious growth of the troubled Harry who works in a ancient church in London who embarks on a journey of revenge when he is totally ill wiped for it. What happens to a man who holds another man at gunpoint for the first time? He hesitates, he doubts himself, he is afraid of the consequences and most of all he himself is afraid of the situation. This all what Vengeance is Mine is at its core eventually? I for one think so. Vengeance is Mine gripped me from the very start. Its sparse in dialogue which works positively since this leaves plenty of room for the audience thoughts and musings. Each nook is fine tuned to extract the scenes maximum potential within his strained budget. When Harry bleeds that's all that happens; he bleeds. When Harry cries that's all that happens; Harry cries. Unlike Colin Farrell or Tom Hanks in PHONEBOOTH or CASTAWAY there isn't much taking place in the backdrop. There is no police squad, there is no island. Instead its always back seat of a car, a broken chair, a wall or a field. Vengeance is Mine is a thriller that lets of its steam cautiously but certainly. It's like walking the plank.