Today’s quick review: Vengeance. On the way home from a party, Teena Maguire (Anna Hutchison), a young widow, is beaten and raped in front of her daughter Bethie (Talitha Bateman). The four assailants hire hotshot attorney Jay Kirkpatrick (Don Johnson) to get them off the hook. When it looks like Kirkpatrick might succeed, John Dromoor (Nicolas Cage), a police officer with an interest in the case, decides to take justice into his own hands.
Vengeance is a gritty crime drama about trauma and revenge. Vengeance follows Teena and her family through her assault and its aftermath, including the timely intervention of John Dromoor. The film aims to be a sober look at crime and the legal system with just a touch of vigilantism. However, slow pacing, unlikable characters, and mediocre writing and directing keep Vengeance from capitalizing on what could be a compelling dramatic premise.
The highlight of the film is a pair of fine performances from Anna Hutchison and Talitha Bateman. Teena and Bethie are sympathetic without being cloying, and their characters are the best-developed of any in the movie. But the supporting cast fares poorly. Nicolas Cage takes a back seat for most of hte movie, with only a few chances to show any emotion, while the rest of the cast is deliberately grating, from the lawyers to the judge to the defendants.
As for the plot, Vengeance is a slow burn. The bulk of the film is spent on Teena’s assault and recovery; the vigilante aspects don’t appear until the hour mark. The skeleton of the plot works well enough on paper, but the scenes that are meant to be the most dramatic have nothing special to say. Vengeance has comptent storytelling but no real focal point to give it direction, while the shift to vigilantism cuts short the original conflict.
Watch Vengeance only if you’re a fan of dark, realistic drama and don’t mind sacrificing some quality to get it. Vengeance makes a credible attempt at telling a dramatic story, but its heavy tone and middling execution make it a niche pick at best. Steer clear if you want action or escapism. For a crime thriller with a similar premise and a better plot, try Seeking Justice. For a more violent movie in a similar vein, try Rage or Acts of Vengeance.
5.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.5 for two good performances without the scaffolding to back them up.