Revenge: A Love Story

Directed by: Chin-po Wong

Starring: Juno Mak, Sola Aoi, Tony Ho

Synopsis:

Police are investigating a serial killer who targets pregnant women and the media have labeled him 'The Dissector' and running sensationalist headlines such as "Pregnant woman dissected alive, husband put to death in 100 degrees boiling water". At the scene of yet another such murder, and led by undercover detectives Jeff and Kwok Wah (Chin Siu Ho, Tony Ho) they comb the area and find a known suspect, Chan Kit (Juno Mak), and bring him in. Chan Kit remains silent throughout the physically brutal interrogation and is released without charge...if he is the killer, what is his motive?

Revenge: A Love Story is unlike any film you have seen previously. Sure, it starts as a conventional, if very stylish and gruesome, serial killer thriller. A Man is committing horrific murders, targeting heavily pregnant women and cutting out the foetus. What the police don’t divulge to the public however is that the female victims are related, either by blood or marriage, to police officers – and not just any police officers at that.

Fans of genre will recognise that something is up right from the start, as the film makes no attempt to hide the killer, Chan Kit, from the audience. What’s more, the police zero in on his pretty quickly and subject him to a brutal interrogation. However, Kit has been here before, and is able to endure everything they throw at him. And without a signed confession, the cops can’t charge him without difficult questions being asked as to why the detectives are so certain he’s the culprit.

What follows is a lengthy flashback which explains exactly why we are where we are. Kit, a local grocery store clerk, is in love with an autistic woman called Wing. When they temporarily take lodgings with a local pimp, Wing is subjected to a horrific case of mistaken identity when a crooked vice cop assumes she’s a new prostitute. When Kit comes to her rescue, the two of them are arrested and taken to the local police station.

Which is where things really get nasty.

All sense of right and wrong is thrown into turmoil with this film. We might not agree with Kit’s gruesome revenge tactics, but we certainly understand them. And his actions are so severe that we still have sympathy for at least one of the detectives as he tries to bring this reign of terror to an end. However, prepare to have your sympathies switched again and again as each side ups the ante, committing more brutal acts against each other, until the final face-off.

Reading the above might remind you of the Korean thriller, I Saw the Devil, and this would make an excellent companion piece to that film, as both deal with the concept that revenge is a self-perpetuating cycle which is difficult to break once started. This is perfectly captured by the film’s incredible finale, which is sure to leave you emotionally drained.

Verdict

This film isn’t going to be for everyone. Imagine if Seven wasn’t so coy and bashful, and you’re halfway there. It’s an emotionally intense thriller which is guaranteed to evoke a strong reaction from the viewer.

8 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

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