Repo Men (2010)
A friend of mine once went on and on about something called Repo: The Genetic Opera and I had no interest in it whatsoever (still don’t, sorry, friend) but when this film was in the works, I had a slight urge to see it. Why? Jude Law, of course.
In a future where you no longer have to wait on donor lists to get a transplant, artificial organs are made and they cost. You have three months to pay before your organs get repossessed (or “repo-ed”). Remy (Jude Law) and Jake (Forest Whitaker) are two of the best Repo Men of the Union; carefree, indifferent and young. So when a job goes awry and Remy ends up with an artificial heart, his life takes him to the other side of the world he has lived in, and repo-ed from.
This film drew me in for a number of reasons. One was, of course, Jude Law. I’m a huge fan of the actor and more and more of his films will be reviewed on here in time. Another reason was that the idea of a future of renewable fake organs is a lot closer than many of us think it is. I’ve always been one for dystopian films, it’s a genre I can’t seem to get away from; many of the books I read and films I watch center on the idea of a future going wrong because people inevitably fuck it up. This is, obviously, no exception. In this world, when one repossesses an organ, they do it by physically cutting the damn thing out.
The plot is solid enough, with a very generic rise of a character, fall of a character, character learning a lesson in the end set up. Don’t get me wrong, though, this doesn’t make it a boring film. In fact, this film has one of the best twist endings I’ve seen in a long time (I would even go as far as to class it with Fight Club and The Usual Suspects) and the lead up to it isn’t shabby either.
But for those wondering, this is by and large an action movie. Yes, there is a decent plot on which to base this action, but it’s an action movie. Also it’s not for the particularly squeamish… when I said before that repo men rip organs out, I meant it, they do. Certainly the person is sedated first (usually zapped by electricity but that’s because they run, so really it’s their fault) but the actual repossession of an organ is an in-your-face removal, gallons of fake blood and all. So if you dislike blood, maybe avoid this one for now. Weirdly enough, I’m usually ridiculously squeamish, but this film I could watch rather easily… it reminded me of The Matrix with its level of violence… yes, it was more realistic than The Matrix but it seemed so oddly over done that it wasn’t scary, just fascinating. Or maybe it’s the car-wreck theory: it’s so gruesome that you just can’t look away.
I won’t lie, I actually (shamefully maybe) love this movie. I really like how the characters are developed in it. Yes, there is cliche after cliche in this but it’s not cringe-worthy bad. Remy (our hero, as it were) finds himself in a situation he can’t escape from, and one which he actually never wanted to end up in. When he has the accident and wakes up in hospital with the fake heart, his first instinct is to rip it out of himself and just die. He has lived his life and worked for the Union long enough to know exactly how this whole endeavor will end for him. His partner and best friend, Jake, doesn’t instantly turn on him either, which is something I actually really liked about this film.
The climax of the film is a favourite of mine, and this isn’t even the twist at the end that I’d mentioned previously. Maybe it’s my weirdo sadistic tendencies playing up but when Remy realizes that the only way out of the Union system for him and Beth (Alice Braga; typical love interest character) is to repo themselves, and then proceeds to do just that to the backing track of “Sing It Back”… it’s just ridiculously hot to me. Yea, I’m weird, but believe me I’m not the only one who had that reaction. Moving on.
This is a popcorn movie – if you can handle the gore enough to eat said popcorn – and a casual 7/10 from me. I have seen it twice now, and I watch it honestly for the action factor and Jude Law. Yes, the dystopian aspect appeals to my inner dark side, but the plot isn’t developed enough for me to love it for the actual genre rather than the more shallow action sequences. Either way, I would gladly watch it again, and would recommend it to anyone who feels like a thrill once in a while. It’s a good action movie.
Pingback: Heroes Don’t Exist… «