Vengeance

Vengeance is a film by Johnny To. To is one of the better Chinese directors, and he makes multiple films each year. Admittedly, some are below average to average, but films like Vengeance exhibit his intelligence as a director. He opens with a placid scene under rainfall, and then creates chaos. This is like most of the film, where To allows for languid sequences that are terse but informative and then allows for a great action sequence or burst of violence. The film stars the "French Elvis", Johnny Hallyday as Costello. Costello is losing his memory after having taken a bullet in his skull. However, he wants to do one last thing before he loses his memory: take revenge on whoever killed his family in the opening sequence mentioned above. Costello happens to meet three killers-for-hire, and along with the trio, they seek out the identity of the killers. As action sequences arise that are original and beautiful, the film becomes intriguing. Also, Costello is losing his memory, he will soon forget these horrors that have been committed. The question arises whether the cost of revenge is even worth it. Vengeance is a fine film. It's so comfortable with what it is, that it has a lot of fun with itself, and ends up being a damn good western. It fails as a thriller, but as a western it's an achievement.
Vengeance: ★★★