Tonight's marathon is about one simple fact: If you kill one of the great loves of my life, then I'm coming for your ass in the form of vengeance. That's what this evenings lineup is all about. We feel the pain of the characters being portrayed on screen, and root for them in the end. Our heroes for tonight are Jodie Foster, Antonio Banderas, Daniel Craig, and John Travolta/Nicholas Cage. The latter switches faces in one of the most clever movie concepts in film history. We have on our menu for this evening:
The Brave One 2007, Desperado 1995, Quantum Of Solace 2008, and Face Off 1997
Now is that a badass revenge movie lineup or what? Each of the protagonists in the films is completely justified by the horrific acts of brutality inflicted upon them which result in the death of someone close to them. The marathon poses good questions such as, what would you do in a situation like this if the police was inactive in terms of bringing justice to the victims of such horrific acts of violence. Would you take the law into your own hands? Could you just let it go? These are questions that go through your mind while watching these different tales of revenge. The first movie to begin the lineup of revenge is Jodie Foster's The Brave One. In this film, Jodie Foster plays a woman struggling with surviving a brutal attack by a gang which leaves her lover dead. Feeling a lack of justice being taken by the local police department, she sets out in an act of vigilante justice. This is one of Jodie Fosters and Terrence Howard's best roles as the two have strong chemistry and make the story compelling. The brutality of the couples beating makes it tough to watch but is what ultimately makes the audience side with Foster when she begins to take the law into her own hands. The next film, Desperado, is the second installment in the classic El Mariachi trilogy and the most popular. In this film, Antonio Bandera's plays a guitarist with a guitar case full of guns who sets out in an act of vengeance to find the man responsible for the death of his lover from El Mariachi. While doing so, he becomes embroiled in a war with a local drug runner named Bucho, who's connected to the murder of the guitar players love. This is unquestionably the best installment of the El Mariachi trilogy and takes the action and story aspect of revenge to a new level of excitement. The third installment in the marathon is Quantum of Solace, the 22nd film in the popular James Bond franchise. Picking up right where Casino Royale left off, James Bond begins his vengeful quest for answers concerning the death of his love. He attempts to stop a mysterious organization from eliminating one of the countries most valuable resource. Of all the three Daniel Craig films, Casino Royale and Skyfall are superior films, but Quantum of Solace is the purest revenge film of them all. It is not as good as the other two films but it carries with it the most action, and shows a more vengeful side of Bond. The fourth and final film in the marathon is the most emotional and action packed of the the bunch. There is no other way to end this evening than with the incredible John Woo film titled Face Off. This film puts John Travolta and Nicholas Cage, two of the 90's most popular movie stars in a plot that tests their acting abilities to their fullest potential. In order to foil a terrorist plot, the FBI has agent Sean Archer switch faces with terrorist Nicholas Cage through a transplant surgery in the middle of a coma, assuming the identity and physical appearance of Cages character. The plan backfires when the terrorist Castor Troy played by Cage wakes up during the middle of the mission and impersonates the cop with the same method. The revenge theme plays into this one with Archer's son being accidentally shot during the middle of an assassination attempt by Castor Troy. Since that fateful day, Sean Archer has been relentlessly pursuing Castor Troy in an act of revenge for his sons death. Face Off is unquestionably one of the greatest action movies of all time, and a rare gem that combines both pure action, great acting, and moving drama brilliantly into one great concept. The switching of the faces is brilliant and allows for some of the finest acting performances of both movie stars careers. Never has both actors done a film as crazy or brilliant as this one. There is also no better ending to tonight's marathon than the one Face Off provides.
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