Revenge

Just love that line. This is a kick-ass blood bath revenge movie.

Should you take it seriously? For sure not! But in its genre, it is a well constructed movie that you cannot stop watching until the end. The cat and the mouses are in the maze. She would paint it all red for you, eating them one by one.

It's a polarizing movie, so don't expect a fair rating for it. People hate it or love it. But one thing for sure the cinematography is just spectacular, whatever you think of the story.

Essentially, "Revenge" is nothing more than "I Spit On Your Grave IV." A bunch of bad guys get their comeuppance from a young lady seeking revenge. This film, though, had more blood in it than a Midwest slaughter house at Chrismastime. Boy, was it gory.

And unbelievable. There are some things you'll see that just wouldn't pan out in real life, but this is the movies, right? Where the unbelievable happens? Like the SONY logo says: Make. Believe.

I believe I saw the unrated version. If it wasn't then I guess the R rated one left all the nasty bits intact, which is surprising because censor boards have been known to blacklist films with this much violence. If you're a fan of L'Intereur, I Spit On Your Grave, Ichi The Killer, Martyrs, Irreversible, etc., you won't be disappointed.

This became instantly one of my all time favorites. I've seen over 2k movies. I would use that film to teach tension at film school. Modern masterpiece. This was so unsettling from the very beginning. I wanted it to be over and to never end at the same time. Loved it. Must watch. If you can't see blood, this one is not for you. It felt like Mad Max, Home alone and Die hard had a threesome.

Revenge (2017)

*** (out of 4)

Rather insane French film has Richard (Kevin Janssens) taking his mistress Jen (Matilda Lutz) to a house that is used by him and his hunting buddies. The hunting buddies Stan (Vincent Colombe) and Dimitri (Guillaume Bouchede) arrive and the next morning Jen is raped by one of them. Fearing what might happen Richard tries to kill Jen but after a horrendous injury she survives to get revenge.

I guess the only word that comes to my mind after watching this film is "wow." I mean, really? To say that I'm a bit shocked would be an understatement and I say that for a number of reasons. This film was released to all sorts of controversy with some people walking out on it and others calling it a masterpiece. Well, I didn't walk out on it and I don't think it's a masterpiece. REVENGE is certainly an entertaining movie but the more I think about it the more logical issues I have with it.

For starters, I'm going to avoid spoilers but how in the Hell did Jen survive what happened to her? With that out of the way, the first portion of this film is exceptionally good with director Coralie Fargeat doing a terrific job with the introduction of the characters and she also handles the pre-rape sequence very well. These rape/revenge movies have been done to death but I thought the director did a great job building up the tension leading up to the rape.

What didn't work with the film was a few logical issues that kept creeping up throughout the movie including it appearing that all of the characters turned into superheroes. Another problem with the film is that at times I think all of the style gets in the way of the story but this here was just a minor issue. Even with these issues you can't help but love the performances from the entire cast and especially those of Lutz and Janssens. Both of them were wonderful in their parts and especially Lutz since she doesn't get much dialogue and instead must act with her eyes to let us know what's going on with the character.

The music score, the cinematography and editing are all wonderful and there's no doubt that this is an extremely well-made film. As I said, I thought there were certainly some flaws but even with them I couldn't help but enjoy the film as a pure exploitation picture. I mean, there's a lot of really graphic violence and a ton of blood throughout the movie so gore hounds are going to be happy. The film is pretty darn sleazy throughout and for the most part I enjoyed it.

What distinguishes Coralie Fargeat from her contemporaries in the realm of emerging directors is her unique film-making style.

Despite having directed only two feature films in her career, her directorial characteristics can be easily discerned through a careful examination of her work thus far.

These are my personal observations...

1. Fargeat exhibits a remarkable comfort and affection for incorporating nudity into her films, skillfully presenting the human body, both male and female in a sensual manner that avoids being vulgar or obscene.

2. This same effortless quality is evident in her portrayal of blood and gore, which is both unhinged and stomach churning. Lot of credit is also due to the makeup and prosthetics team, who play a crucial role in helping Fargeat attain her artistic vision.

3. Another notable aspect of her work is her editing style. Fargeat prefers to edit her films herself, employing a distinctive technique that effectively merges sequential frames in a order that brings urgency, thereby creating tension and suspense in an effortless way.

4. Her specific knack for foreshadowing and prognostication is noteworthy. As she prefers to write her own screenplays too, she adeptly weaves these elements into her narratives, which I find particularly admirable.

5. And last but not the least, Fargeat consistently emphasizes themes of Woman empowerment, regardless of the narrative or genre she is delving into, which is commendable, though I digress.

Returning to "Revenge," the movie delivers precisely what its title may already suggest: a revenge narrative characterized by a well-executed build-up and a decent enough payoff, albeit accompanied by some logical inconsistencies and over-reliance on known tropes.