Vengeance: A Love Story

SOURCE Title: Vengeance: A love story

Genre: Thriller

Director: Johnny Martin

Casts: Nicolas Cage,Don Johnson, Anna Hutchison,Talitha Bateman, Deborah Kara Unger

Released date: September 2017

Running time: 99minutes

This movie always leave tears in my eyes each time I watch it. It's a story of a woman Teena (Anna Hutchison) that was brutally raped by a gang in front of her 12 year old daughter Bethy Maguire(Talitha Bateman). When she was failed by the justice system, a detective decided to take laws into his hands. I call this movie a great movie because it is very realistic. Thousands of women are being raped and humiliated without any one to fight or defend them, Teena's story is a story of a dozen women and I'm glad that Martin directed this movie in a way that will leave you sympathetic to what women pass through.

Cage(John Droomor) plays the detective, who was disappointed with the failed justice system and took it upon himself to clear the city. Although he offered vigilante service (if that's the right word), this movie can't be compared with other vigilante movies like Gotham, Batman etc because unlike the later Vengeance is real, the events of the movie happens in our society everyday. Ranging from the assault on women to the failed justice system. SOURCE Here is a little spoiler, skip this paragraph if you’re afraid of spoilers: The movie started when Detective John lost his partner in a crime scene and while he was mourning and drinking in a bar later that evening, he met the free spirit chatty Teena Maguire. They drank and chatted briefly. From the subsequent scenes, it can be seen that Teena is a very friendly person, always happy, everybody loved her. Despite her free nature, she is protective of her daughter, she is a good mother no wonder she had a strong daughter like Bethy. Teena and her daughter Bethy attended a 4th of July night party at her boyfriend's house SOURCE It got late, she decided to walk home with her daughter. In a nidst of a mother -daughter bonding Teena suggested that they take a short cut home (who wouldn't do that considering the fact it's late). On their way home, they were attacked by four men, these four men where her high school mates.Teena was beaten and raped till she passed out while her daughter watched. SOURCE After the men left, Bethy went out to seek help and Detective John found her and took them to the hospital. Bethy was able to recognize the men and they were arrested but the parents of two of the men hired a hot headed attorney that defended them in court and of course, they were released. SOURCE Teena was humiliated and labelled a whore in the entire courtroom. What Teena passed through at the night of her attack was traumatic, infact her survival was a miracle but what makes it worse is not having a powerful person to speak for her. To even agree to testify in court shows a great deal of strength, tge reaction she got in the court room is exactly the reason why rape victims do not speak up. Ofcourse It's easier to call her a whore and blame her for what happened because of her free spirit and her party lifestyle, but then no one deserves that kind of treatment, no one deserves rape no matter the circumstances. These are the things that led her to attempt suicide but thank God for men like detective John who was sympathetic to their case took laws into his hands to put these men away. He became their knight in shining amour, he stopped Teena from jumping off the cliff, in her words she said

they killed me already, they just didn't finish the job. SOURCE Watching this scene made me wonder how many girls have died from this. So many who passed through this do not have a "detective John" to help them.

THESIS It’s not an easy task to direct such a sensitive movie with a low budget and yet Martins pulls it off, thanks to Mankiewicz for a well drafted script.

Despite the fact that the movie is not filled with so many actions, the story will keep you in suspence and you will just want to know more. The relationship between mother and daughter was commendable and the strength Bethy showed was awesome. Even Detective John called her a hero and further said that if he ever had a daughter, he hope she will be like her everyday. SOURCE

This movie makes better use of slow themed music in the appropriate scenes which will leave goosebumps which will leave tear in your eyes. The sound effects are calm as it not an action movie. The sound used best suits the story.

The actors tried their best to give life to this great story. Starting from Anna to Talitha. Also it was good to see Cage play an introverted role, it's good to see versatility on the part of the actor. Anna interpreted the role Teena well, her reaction in court, the tone of her voice, her facial expression will make you lost in the movie. I will also commend the role of Bethy, she is the kind of daughter every parent will want, her strength, her ability to take care of her mum, I even started wishing she was my daughter.

I usually do not take note of costume design but I did on this movie. The costume of the gang members really portrayed 'gang members'. I found the hair style very funny but I couldn't laugh cos at that point I wanted them dead. Lol. The lighting, set design, tone really really told the story in an appropriate way.

At the end, It was satisfying to see the end of the gangsters. All thanks to detective John for growing impatient and finishing the job a failed justice system couldn't finish. I guess we need the likes of Detective John in our society. SOURCE

On this note I will rate this movie 8/10, firstly it is a great story. It is realistic, it depicts the events that happens in our society. The actors told the story perfectly well. It is a reminder to the kind of world that we live in and it inspires you to be better. Women should never be quiet towards rape and the justice system need to step to remove men like this from the street.

If you are looking for a movie to watch this weekend, grab your popcorn and your napkin for tears if you are emotional, you might end up not eating your popcorn. Go see the movie.