Disc Reviews

Retribution Review

• 21st Jan 2015

This American Drama details the aftermath of a family fallen apart. Widower Hollis (Aaron Paul) is neglectful of his two songs, 13 year old Jacob, and the much younger Wes. Jacob has become quite the hellraiser and is forever spending his time causing mayhem and destruction.

Right from the get go Jacob spends time in a juvenile hall away from home which only accelerates his behaviour towards everyone. With Hollis forever trapped at the bottle of a bottle it’s only a matter of time before Wes is taken away from them by social services and sent to live with their over-protective aunt (Juliette Lewis).

The film is an interesting essay of this male dominant family and their lack of empathy and more importantly the inability to communicate properly with one and other and how their then is reflected by their actions. Jacob is a detestable teenager, but one that audiences feel for in the end when he finally begins to let his emotions come to the surface. Paul (also a producer on the film) plays the lonely father well who finds himself with strong ultimatums and losing his control over his family facing a sober road ahead.

The film doesn’t wrap anything up in a pretty bow, but does have a clear path paved out in front of it by the time it reaches its emotional ending.

If there is complaint to be made about the film it is squarely aimed at the marketing of the picture. Originally it was released in the states as Hellion. Calling the film Retribution and giving it a DVD cover that looks like something more akin to an action film is an insult to the UK public and seems only to act as a ploy to get buyers to pick it up off the shelf expecting something more akin to Paul’s other recent Need For Speed venture. This is anything but that. This is pure drama with strong performances and should have been sold as such. So whoever is responsible for the idea of marketing the film in completely the wrong way in the UK needs to be shown the door immediately or watched closely in future by the press.

Retribution then as it stands here is a decent drama worth checking out for the strong performances.

Steven Hurst