Repo Men is a kick ass film

The Repo Men in Repo Men repossess artificial organs from people. People that have bought the organs, on credit, to replace their failing ones. Like buying a car. If the people fall behind on payments, the Repo Men come and collect the goods. Like falling behind on the car payments, only it's your liver or kidney they're coming for.

The parts they repossess


There are a number of themes in Repo Men. There is Jude Law and his lifelong friendship with Forest Whitaker. It also brings up the question, "What role does your job play in forming who we are?" Also, if our job is to slice people open and remove their organs, "What does your job say about you?"

Jude Law about to cut open a client to retrieve the goods


First, let's discuss Jude Law. I don't know much about him except he hosted SNL recently and did a bad job. But, I'm not kidding when I say, dude made this film. He was efficient and left me gob-smacked. I forgot it was him towards the end. I know, I was shocked too.

Jude (Remy) and Forest (Jake) are brethren. They grew up fighting and drinking together. They are war buddies. To have a war buddy is to have a bond like no other. It is closer than brother, closer than kin. In fact, Jake seems to have an issue with separating who he is and who Remy is. In his mind, they are one. But, this will come up later.

Remy with Jake, two peas in a pod


Remy has other friends though, a wife and a son friends. This is a problem. The wife does not like Remy's job, which is a weak point in the movie. I mean, the wife knew what he did for a living before they got married right? Or maybe he started the repo job after they were married?

Either way, being a Repo Man is part of him. The creepy slicing and dicing, late night hours and questionable morals and all. So really, it's her deal to figure out how to deal with it. Instead, she kicks him out and gives him the stink eye.

Remy getting the Stink Eye by his wife


At this point, Remy has a decision to make. He chooses to do one more repo then move on to save his marriage. This one last repo involves taking a heart. Which means he'll have to stop the client's heart with a defibrillator. Only something goes wrong. He ends up getting shocked himself.

Remy Takes a Hit


I kid you not, I did NOT see this next part coming.

The shock fries his heat. He needs to have it replaced. That means he has to buy a heart on credit. My jaw was on the floor during this scene. I did not see it coming. Remy accepts the heart and the 24% interest rate on a $800,000 loan. If he stays a repo man, he can make bank. But, with the new heart comes empathy. Rendering him unable to further slice and dice his clients. He falls behind on his payments.

He is now out of time. He goes on the lamb and finds the bird below. She lives on the outskirts too. She has about 150 different organs inside her, all overdo. They become squatters and he begins to type out his life story on a old fashioned type writer. All the while there is must tender loving between the two. Tender, loving, sexy, love making fun. Their kisses are warm and made me blush.

Remy and the wounded bird


Needless to say, the Repo Men come and find Remy. Irony. Irony still when the Repo Man they send is Jake. This begins a lot of kung fu fighting between the Repo Men, Remy and the bird. In fact, the film contains massive amounts of martial art fighting, often with knives. There is a critical mass of cutting up and slaying. However, it is done in such a way that every slice, every stab, every punch and pummel, all of it is achingly beautiful. Saw this was not.

The fighting was modeled after the Filipino martial arts style. That is to say, each blow was delivered with intent and meaning. Each fillet of the knife was surgical and steel bound. It all had grace and rhythm. Which makes sense, the film was based on a book called, "The Repossession Mambo".

Remy and one of copious knife fight scenes


This brings us the final theme, "What role does your job play in making up who you are?" and "If your job is slice people open and take out their organs, what does this job say about you?"

Several times throughout the film, Remy and Jake reassure themselves that while their job can be tough and distasteful, "A job is a job". This is a manifesto that spurs them on. It is the salve spread over their bleeding conscience.

Only Jake takes it a step further. He finds moral righteousness in upholding the laws that bind his clients. The clients he fillets. He finds further strength in his friend Remy, who feels and acts as he does. Only, after Remy's wife forces his hand, and Remy starts to sway to the other side, Jake begins to come undone. It all comes to a head in the final scenes.



There's a whole twist at the end that I won't reveal here. And there is so much more I'm not revealing here. This film is rich with all the themes and a true review would take more than just this post. Needless to say, the film left me breathless and crazy. Which is what a film should do, if it's doing it's job.

So please, watch this film, you owe it to your family, you owe it to yourself.