SummaryIn a society ruled by machismo, a hibernating "bird" becomes a serious matter. In a life of brutality, the sleeping bird is an allegory for a peaceful and serene life, even when the whole world tries desperately to rouse it.
SummaryIn a society ruled by machismo, a hibernating "bird" becomes a serious matter. In a life of brutality, the sleeping bird is an allegory for a peaceful and serene life, even when the whole world tries desperately to rouse it.
In essence, Vengeance is an action romance, but what ultimately sets it apart––aside from the brilliant tonal shift and stellar character work––is the very Indonesian context Edwin thrusts into the story.
An adrenaline-pumping action fest that is ironic in many respects, Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash swerves towards the mystical and the spiritual in the latter half, becoming a earnest and potent critique on the trappings of masculinity.
Edwin keeps the tone machismo-deflating and goofy, and the film on its feet between fights. Our leads have enough chemistry when they’re throwing down that their characters’ problematic love life together seems immaterial.
Edwin declines to make a choice between idiosyncrasy and action, and his work winds up feeling like a loosely related assembly of material instead of a finished film.
Production Company
Palari Films,
Phoenix Films,
E&W Films,
Match Factory Productions,
Bombero International,
Kaninga Pictures,
Purin Pictures,
White Night Studios,
Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein,
The Berlinale World Cinema Fund,
Singapore Film Commission