Toni Ortivez
The Paw Print
Opening last Friday was the movie “Repo Men” an action, sci-fi, thriller starring Jude Law. Directed by Miguel Sapochnik, “Repo Men” takes place in the near-future and revolves around the idea of repossession, as hinted in the title. “Repo Men” is rated R for violence, language, and sexuality/nudity and has a run time of one hour and fifty-one minutes.
“Repo Men” is a film directed at viewers who enjoy lots of action with a decent amount of blood and violence. It centers on the idea of buying replacement organs from The Union, an organization specializing in the latest synthetic organs. The organs are peddled at high prices with an emphasis on the affordable payment plan, a concept which is at the center of the plot. If a client falls ninety days behind on their payments, just as with any other load agreement, the product will be retrieved by the Repo Men. The plot has a twist in which repo man Remy, played by Jude Law, has to have a heart replacement and can’t continue his work because he sees the clients in a new light, having become one. Remy’s long time friend Jake, played by Forest Whitaker, tries to help him get out of his rut, but to no avail. As the plot thickens more clients are introduced, and Remy falls prey to the alluring Beth, played by Alice Braga. The new duo tries to find a way to get their name out of the system and avoid the repo men sent to retrieve their products.
However, this plot is interlaced with bloody violence and action and isn’t for a weak stomach. Sapochnik chose to show the repo men at work in many scenes, as well as, how Remy gets rid of them. The movie becomes more and more intense as the fight to gain freedom continues, and a twist that is fairly unexpected will leave the viewers feeling cathartic and confused. The resolution may leave some wanting more, but the overall movie was well put together and interesting nonetheless.
Law and Whitaker make an interesting partnership in the beginning, and with the added conflict, it may surprise many viewers as to how their relationship transforms. Braga’s performance was convincing but could have used a little work and more emotion, especially considering the situation. Overall, the cast was well put together and seemed to work well with each other. It could have used more contrast in terms of characters to change the mood from completely dismal slightly less bleak.
“Repo Men” is a movie that may take a little while to grow on you especially in comparison to some movies that have been released recently. However, it has a solid plot line with conflict and a resolution of sorts. The action is well choreographed and there isn’t an overwhelming use of computer generated graphics. Although it may not be on the top of the list of must-sees, “Repo Men” is worth the watch and you may even find yourself surprised by the conclusion.
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