Starrring: Jason Statham, Agata Buzek
Director: Steven Knight
Rated: R
Known as Hummingbird (Slang for a drone) in the UK. Redemption follows Joey Jones (Jason Statham) a homeless man and former ex-special forces soldier. When Joey is on the run from so local street toughs, he takes refuge in an expensive flat whose owner is away in New York. Joey uses this time to get his life back together acquiring a job as an enforcer in the asian mob while he looks for the killer of his friend Isabella while developing a relationship with the sister Christina (Agata Buzek) a nun who holds her own secret past.
It’s nice to see Statham finally step back into a role that requires some form of acting rather than strictly utilizing his own brand of English Martial Arts. For too long he has played the same character in different situations. I have longed for the Statham that made his name in Guy Richie’s Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and the truly great Snatch. While Statham doesn’t abandon his typical fisticuffs he does have some layers to this character showing some pain and vulnerability.
Director Steven Knight the man who is most known as the screenwriter of Eastern Promises delivers a solid Directorial effort in his big screen Debut. Showing he is more than capable of not just writing the words but actually realizing them on the screen.
While not a movie that is going to gain a cult following like Eastern Promises or Snatch, Redemption has its redeeming qualities, some tough subject matter and an avenging angel in Statham who decided he wanted to do some acting.
Grade – 76
Nice, I’ll seek this out. The director being the screenwriter of Eastern Promises makes me want to watch it even more.
Blitz is another Statham movie I was surprised with. It wasn’t just him going around punching things, plus the killer was the guy from Game of Thrones.