REPO MEN (2010)Director: Miguel Sapochnik
Stars: Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Alice Braga, Liev Schreiber
In the future, any defective organ in your body can be replaced by a top-of-the-line mechanical one. The only problem is, if you can't keep up with your payments for said organ, a pair of Repo Men are sent to recollect it. Their preferred method of repossession involves breaking into your home with a taser and surgical equipment, removing the contracted organs as you lie paralyzed on the floor. Remy (Jude Law) has been repossessing organs for years, until an on the job accident forces him to replace his heart. On top of his now crushing debt, his literal change of heart has made it impossible to do his job, since he suddenly feels empathy for his intended victims. His only hope is to run and hide, with the corporation hot on his trail.
I think the concept is great, but it ends up painting the movie into a corner. Where do you go with organ repossessors? Is this concept supposed to be believable? The movie would like to think so, since they spend an inordinate amount of time on Remy's internal conflict, his family troubles, and his lifelong relationship with his co-worker and friend Jake (Forest Whitaker). For me, drama is appropriate in a sci-fi world where something extraordinary happens to the physical world, but everyone acts appropriately in response. The further away you move from believable human behavior, the less appropriate straight-up drama becomes. The plot here is heightened; we're meant to believe in a world in which people tolerate organ repossession. The characters, in turn, should have been equally heightened. Even in the "dramatic" scenes in Robocop you get the sense that Verhoeven is ultimately fucking with you, but here it's completely straight-faced and heartfelt.
The craptastic musical Repo The Genetic Opera beat this concept to the punch a couple years back, but there really isn't much originality on display in any regard. Shots are blatantly lifted from Paul Verhoeven and Stanley Kubrick movies, and minus the medical twist the concept of a dystopian world run by evil corporations is as common as the cold.
The performances are all solid, particularly from Alice Braga as the love interest/cyber junkie, who gives her role way more nuance than necessary. First time director Miguel Sapochnik actually does quite a few things right, pacing aside. I anticipate him making something really good in the near future. The action scenes are well choreographed, bloody and brutal. The climax in particular has to be seen to be believed, and brought the movie to a whole 'nother level for a minute. But it ends up being too little, too late, and all in all the movie is a jumble of decent ideas that never form a cohesive whole.
FREDERICK OPINES: MIDDLING
Repo Men
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