Retaliation

Overview

Orlando Bloom, Janet Montgomery, Charlie Creed-Miles, and Anne Reid star in co-directors Ludwig Shammasian and Paul Shammasian's drama. A demolition worker (Bloom) is plagued by traumatic childhood memories and the desire for revenge after he encounters the priest who sexually abused him two decades earlier. He struggles to come to terms with that formative episode and how it has negatively affected his relationships with his mother, God, and his girlfriend. ~ Augustine Chay

Product Details

Release Date:	09/08/2020
UPC:	0031398321187
Original Release:	2017
Rating:	R
Source:	Lions Gate
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen, Color]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Time:	1:36:00
Sales rank:	20,713

Special Features

Audio commentary with co-directors Ludwig Shammasian and Paul Shammasian; "Brutality and Honesty: the making of Retaliation" featurette; English SDH subtitles

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Retaliation
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16

Menu

Disc #1 -- Retaliation
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      Audio Commentary With Co-Directors Paul Shammasian And Ludwig Shammasian: On
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      Brutality And Honesty: The Making Of Retaliation
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Editorial Reviews

Retaliation is an internally polarizing struggle, full of dark, gritty, and sometimes uncomfortable scenes. One thing is clear after the film's 91-minute run time: the Shammasian Brothers had a vision, and they stuck to it. Although the film is well acted, and the visual tone is consistent throughout, there seems to be something missing when it is all said and done. Directors Ludwig and Paul Shammasian set out to make a thrilling revenge film, full of suspense and realism, but the lack of good writing and mystery are a detriment. The film drags in the beginning, only highlighted by some exceptional acting through its peripheral characters, it but eventually finds a groove towards the end. There is not much to care about until the dramatic climax, and in that, the directing duo manage to salvage something from an otherwise subpar showing. Malky (Orlando Bloom), is a childhood victim of sexual abuse, something that has haunted him his entire life. As he grows up, trouble always seems to be around the corner; Malky's mother (Anne Reid) is always disappointed, his girlfriend, Emma (Janet Montgomery), is constantly heartbroken, and jail is just one mental breakdown away. Despite all the internal anguish tearing him apart, Malky makes a decent life for himself. Working for a demolition crew allows him to put his head down during the day and release his anger on bricks and mortar. His good friend and colleague Jo (Alex Ferns), is Malky's biggest supporter, and they cherish those nights down at the pub as they reminisce about old times. Malky never tells anyone about his traumatic past, and the bottled-up emotion he deals with was like a ticking time bomb. His life appears to be heading in the right direction, until one day his abuser walks into the pub. Malky's mental state flips in an instant, and the series of events that follow will define him for the rest of his life. Featuring an extremely unlikeable protagonist, who carries the weight of a horrifying childhood on his shoulders, Retaliation challenges audiences to look at the situation through a different lens. To be frank, Malky just seems like a bad guy, but at the same time, there is this knowledge of what he went through. One cannot imagine the trauma, unless they have gone through it themselves, which then leads to an interesting observation of Malky's brash attitude and erratic behavior. Where the Shammasian Brothers go wrong is in the overall plot development of the movie. Everything is well-acted and well-shot, the tone is brooding and eerie, but the story is simply not captivating. The audience spends too much time waiting for something to happen and may eventually lose interest. Once Retaliation picks up in its last thirty minutes, many viewers will have checked out, and the payoff may not hit home like the directors intended. One can only imagine the monumental task to take on this film. Filled to the brim with uncomfortable subject matter and misguided emotions, Retaliation is a true exploration of a plagued psyche. The most interesting aspect of the movie is the internal struggle and challenge that viewers face when assessing Malky. And maybe that's the point, maybe we aren't supposed to ever feel comfortable around this character, because most of us can't begin to know what he has been through. Unfortunately, Retaliation fails to be a great movie, only an interesting character study that isn't assisted by a gripping story.

All Movie Guide - Travis Norris