Payback

1999 "Get ready to root for the bad guy."
7.1| 1h40m| R| en| More Info
Released: 05 February 1999 Released
Producted By: Paramount
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

With friends like these, who needs enemies? That's the question bad guy Porter is left asking after his wife and partner steal his heist money and leave him for dead -- or so they think. Five months and an endless reservoir of bitterness later, Porter's partners and the crooked cops on his tail learn how bad payback can be.

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a_chinn Based on the Richard Start novel "The Hunter," which was earlier filmed by John Boorman in the classic Lee Marvin picture "Point Blank," brings the story into the modern era with Mel Gibson in the lead. Gibson plays a crook who's double crossed by his partner and wife, and left for dead. However, Gibson is not dead and works his way up the "Syndicate" ladder to get back his money, as well as revenge upon those who crossed him. Although the story takes place in a contemporary setting, the film is wonderfully retro, featuring timeless business suits, old 70s looking cars, and more anachronistic rotary phones than you can shake a stick at. The story is a pretty straightforward revenge tale, but it's filled with so many colorful moments that it's pieces add up to a greater whole. One of my favorite moments is (SPOILER ALERT!) Gibson finding his ex-wife dead in bed and lying down next to her to recall the events leading up to his double-cross in a dreamlike flashback sequence, which manages to be both surreal and melancholy. The film is also filled with clever bits of action, such as when Gibson purposefully crashes a car head on during a heist, including a nice touch of close-up of a mouthguard hitting the ground as he get's out of the car to denote Gibson's premeditation of the crash. There's also a memorable toe smashing torture sequence that's not all that graphic, but effectively unsettling. "Payback" also has some great supporting performances by Maria Bello, David Paymer, Bill Duke, Deborah Kara Unger, John Glover, William Devane, Kris Kristofferson, and James Coburn. I was particularly taken with the underused Gregg Henry as Gibson's friend who double crosses him on a caper and steals his wife, setting off the events of the film. Lucy Liu (billed at Lucy Alexis Liu) is also quite memorable as a dominatrix/torturer friend/mistress of Henry's."Payback" came out at the peak of 1990s Quentin Tarantino ripoffs, but to lump this film in with that batch of imitators does not do it justice. "Payback" is a closer cousin to Don Siegel style of crime films (i.e. "The Killers" or "Charley Varrick") than to Tarantino. It's minus the pop culture references and has it's own unique dark sense of humor. The film is shot with a color palette of black and blues that make it nicely reminiscent of the black and white film noirs that it's referencing. And to be clear, this is the original theatrical version of the film I watched, which is supposed to be vastly different than the director's cut. Thirty percent of the film was re-shot when Brian Helgeland was replaced as director. The theatrical version is said to have had more humor and a generally more breezy tone. At the time this film was released, I was dubious of Gibson's tinkering, but since then Gibson has proven himself as a brilliant filmmaker, so I was less dubious this time around. Gibson years later co-write and produced a spiritual sequel to "Payback" with "Get the Gringo," in which Gibson plays another thief with a single name, which Gibson also narrates, and where his character at one point even says how he was once married, but his wife ran off with a former business associate. Overall, "Payback" is not in the same league as "Point Blank," but it does stand on it's own as a wonderfully retro crime film with an amazingly strong cast.
Screen_Blitz For most of his career, Melt Gibson has taken flight with mainly dramatic roles and has gone on to stir up a few Oscar nominated roles but at the same time made a name for himself as an action hero beginning in the late 70s starring in the titular role in 'Mad Max'. Following the sequels, Gibson made a highly praised debut in 'Lethal Weapon' franchise starring opposite Danny Glover. Fresh out of his wonder years as the gun-totting L.A police detective, Gibson makes once again another appearance as a trigger happy protagonist in this revenge thriller directed by Brian Helgeland. Gibson plays Porter, a merciless, bad-to- the-bone thief who makes no way to make a living than to rob and pick-pocket innocent neighbors of their money and worse of all, the criminals in his neighborhood that surround are certainly no better. After a half-successful robbery from an Asian street gang known as "The Outfit", Porter is betrayed by his partner Val Resnick (played by Gregg Henry) and wife Lynn Porter (played by Deborah Kara Unger) who shoot in cold blood and leave him for dead. However, when Porter miraculously survives he seeks assistance from his ex- lover and former partner Rosie (played by Maria Bello) to deliver vengeance and claim back his money while making his way through a world of vicious drug dealers, prostitutes, and corrupt law officials. Mel Gibson has sported many clever and memorable during his year, arguably his most memorable in 'Lethal Weapon' series or as the British warrior in war epic 'Braveheart'. His role as the protagonist in this film is certainly not as memorable and definitely not as appealing as many of the heroic characters he's known for. While he gives a performance that allows him to suit well in this role, he doesn't quite bring the same sort of charisma he had in his role in Lethal Weapon. Fortunately, he still manages to entertain during gunfight sequences. Watching Gibson mow down the bad guys in a bloody, bullet-blazing frenzy is fun to watch, at least for a little while. But the rest of the time, the film is a bit tedious. From the opening scene, the plot starts off with a promise and progresses into something bigger, and it works at least the first hour. But towards the final stretch, the story falls a bit clumsy and becomes less engaging. On the bright side, the supporting cast does manage to spit out some entertaining performances along the way packing in some dark humor that works at least part of the time, particularly Gregg Henry as Mel Gibson's partner with a hidden agenda on his hands. His performance isn't quite strong, but it holds up. One of the biggest surprises comes Lucy Liu who plays a prostitute of the Asian street gang, quite a questionable role for her.Payback is not your average Mel Gibson actioner and probably sits the lower ladder of Gibson's filmopgraphy. Nonetheless, it is still entertaining on some level and has its moments of spectacle in the midst of its subpar script and plot. This revenge flick is one that will please some but definitely not all, particularly those who go in expecting something on the level of Lethal Weapon.
NateWatchesCoolMovies Payback, my favourite Mel Gibson film, is ol' Mel at his down and dirtiest, in a lovely lowbrow, hard boiled neo noir that kicks you in the nuts and laughs in your face. Gibson plays Porter, a nasty, violent criminal who's betrayed by his strung out whore bag wife (Deborah Kara Unger), and volatile nutbar of a partner (Gregg Henry, coked up and starting fights with anything that has a pulse), following a heist. They shoot him up real good, and take his share of the payout. This pisses Porter off well and good. After recovering, he climbs his way up the corporate ladder of crime, one bullet, punch, kick and slice at a time, to get his 24,000$ bucks. He's not looking for a million, or to take over anyone's organization, just his cut, which becomes a running joke, and a nice character nuance for Gibson to play on. He's a scrappy mess as the ultimate spit on antihero, and it's a blast to watch him maul anyone in his path in a reckless spree of delightful wanton violence to get what's his. Gibsons is at his best when he's playing bad, and here's he's the worst apple of the bunch, a burnt out scumbag on a one way road to self destruction, but thanks to his skills and natural charm, we just can't help but root for the guy. Kris Kristofferson icily plays a crime syndicate honcho, Maria Bello is the hooker with a heart of gold, James Coburn provides comic relief as a hysterical mob boss (Thats just mean, man!!), Bill Duke and Jack Conley leave a trail of slime as corrupt cops, and there's great stuff from William Devane, David Paymer, and a startingly young Lucy Liu as an enthusiastic Triad S&M hooker. It's a happily nihilistic, slash and burn ode to noir, with a snappy, black comedy screenplay and every actor willing to take a bite.
andycycle From what I have heard the general release cut some of the best stuff (as being to violent towards a woman (she deserved it), and added a third act and narrator, that it did not need. The director was forces out, in a way, because he did not cave in. I am glad to see his original work. It was excellent. And I am a women. This sight lol sight is telling me I have not written enough lines which is ironic, because the Director's cut was though to be to short. What else can I say? There was a lot of smoking which is always fun. Yes, I just added in the tile that Banchee owes a lot to this cut, as does Cable TV in general. When the studios released this, Cable TV had not made the great influence that we have now. And FX of course.