 |
| Revenge screened at BUFF 2018 |
Once in a while a film comes a long that you just can’t wait to talk about with everyone. You tell your family, friends, maybe even a stranger standing in line to get a cup of coffee, just so you can be the first one to tell them what they are missing in their life. Okay, I may be exaggerating a little, but Revenge needs to be more than just another “hunter becomes prey” movie.
Revenge starts with Jen, a young gorgeous woman being taken to a secluded house by her wealthy French boyfriend Richard. We learn that he is married and that Jen is just a mistress that he is having fun with. A day later they are joined by two of Richard's hunting buddies, who happen to show up earlier then they were supposed to. Rather than be awkward of the entire situation, the four decide to have a good time by drinking and having fun before the men leave on their hunting excursion. As the night progresses, one of the men gets overly attached to Jen and her flirting ways. The next morning, Richard leaves the house to do an errand and his friend forces himself on Jen, as the other man does nothing. When Richard returns and Jen tells him the ordeal she went through, Richard tries to convince her not to tell anyone by influencing her with a job and money. This drives Jen mad and eventually makes Richard decide to get rid of her permanently. However, Jen doesn’t give in and uses everything that she has around her to get back at the men that tried to kill her.
From start to finish, this film has the look, sound, and tone of a glamorous, gory music video. This is Coralie Fargeat's first attempt at a feature and she hits it out of the ballpark. She lets the characters act without saying much and knows when to keep the tension flowing, and when to break it up with some light humor. Cinematographer Robrecht Heyvaert lights the film masterfully, giving the right amount of light to the scene to capture the fear that Jen is facing as well as showcasing the beautiful scenery. There is this one long take that keeps you at the edge of your seat and should belong with some of the other great long takes in pictures such as Scarface, Goodfellas, Children of Men and even True Detective.
Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz is not only stunning to look at, but her performance as a vulnerable chick evolving to a bad ass no-nonsense heroine is amazing to watch. Richard, played by Kevin Janssens, is your typical high testosterone male with the confidence that anything he does is the only right way. The other two actors do their part as Richard’s followers, although I wished there was more screen time with them.
Robrecht Heyvaert’s score gives the movie the tensity of entering an unknown party. Each action scene is matched by an incredibly exciting pulse pumping beat that captures the emotion of the situation.
It may not be the greatest film that you would see, but it is certainly a different one that can stir up some topical social and political conversations. I can’t say anymore great things about Revenge, other than you will enjoy it more it in the theaters with an audience or at a home with a group of friends just to hear and see their reactions of certain situations in the film.
Share this review.
-Caster Durden