Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
Review based upon the Lionsgate Blu-Ray Release
It’s very rare these days to watch a movie that breaks so many conventions and yet still manages to work on a multitude of different levels. Challenging, provocative, unique and visually stunning, “Repo! The Genetic Opera” is a true one-off that’s destined to become a cult flick in every sense of the word. Here is a love-it or hate-it picture, which will polarise audiences and simply doesn’t care: a brave move for a major genre studio like Lionsgate, and one that should be applauded. It has to be said however, that this is a very difficult film to review!
“Repo!” is set in the future, where a shortage of organ transplants and an epidemic wipes out massive chunks of the population. The multi-billion business Geneco comes to humanity’s aid, providing organs on credit but at a price. If you miss the repayments on your operation, Geneco send the Repo Man to collect what’s legally theirs, extracting the organs with force and leaving the patient for dead. Nathan Wallace (Anthony Stewart-Head) is a surgeon with a young daughter Shilo (Alexa Vega) who lives as a virtual recluse due to her life threatening blood condition. Unknown to Shilo, Nathan carries the guilt of his wife’s death, believing he accidentally poisoned and killed Marnie (Sa
rah Power) before she gave birth. Nathan’s friend Rotti Largo (Paul Sorvino) is the founder of Geneco, and after witnessing Marnie’s death promises to protect Nathan if he works for him as the Repo Man. Keeping this murderous secret safe from Shilo he agrees in order to avoid conviction, but is unaware of the fact that Rotti gave him poison instead of proper medication, which ultimately killed Nathan’s wife. Rotti is out for revenge after being jilted by Marnie, and he now has his sights set on Shilo. Can the Repo Man keep his secret safe, or will he be forced to fight for the love of his daughter against his unseen enemies?A complex fusion of opera, rock, horror and drama, “Repo! The Genetic Opera” is one of the most stylish works that Lionsgate has ever produced. Despite being directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (who was responsible for Saw II through IV) this is a completely different animal to his other movies and is obviously a project that he was very committed to. “Repo!” started out as a stage show, and the operetta style combined with great music and a unique aesthetic through Bousman’s direction ensures that the piece moves onto the big screen with impressive results.
In conventional terms “Repo!” may not be considered to be a genre entry, but this movie has an incredible amount of violence and gore along with themes that place it firmly in the horror stable. Opening with a graphic heart extraction, it never misses an opportunity to dazzle the senses with vivid long shots of a city in the grip of chaos, dreamlike musical numbers, comic book inserts and some amazingly brutal performances. This is undeniably a horror film unlike any other (“Sweeny Todd” is the closest comparison I can find, but this doesn’t do the work justice), and deserves to be seen on that recommendation alone.
Anthony Stewart-Head is incredible in a tricky lead role, which requires a great deal of vocal range as well as a sense of all-consuming darkness. He manages to get the balance right, swinging from doting Father to murderer in a way that carries the narrative easily. Alexa Vega as his daughter Shilo is solid, creating a lot of audience sympathy for a character that could otherwise become an irritation. The supporting cast also acquit themselves well, including Paris Hilton who gets to utter the immortal line “I’ll never sing again” with her tongue firmly in cheek. Special mention should also
go to Bill Moseley as Luigi Largo, who gives the film some much needed comic relief through his crazily arrogant interpretation of Rotti’s son.There are some stand-out songs here such as “Legal Assassin”, “Infected” and “I Didn’t Know I’d Love You So Much”, which are sure to appeal thanks to a brilliant rock score which works best if cranked up to 11. Combine this with a great plot, some incredible CGI and shocking violence and you have one of the most surprising films of 2008. It’s a pity that Lionsgate decided to push this out onto DVD in the UK without giving it a theatrical release, but hopefully this will encourage people over here to give “Repo!” the chance it deserves.
A gamble that pays off in spades, “Repo! The Genetic Opera” is an incredible achievement thanks to some impressive direction from Bousman and a phenomenal screenplay by Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich (who adapted their own stageplay). Tough to pigeonhole and analyse due to its multi-layered approach, “Repo!” may not be to everyone’s taste due to the lack of conventional narrative and dialogue. However, I believe this is all the more reason to recommend it, during a horror climate cursed with remakes and sequels. Take your chance on a unique horror experience; you won’t regret it.
8 out of 10
An incredible achievement for all concerned… an amazing work which should get more widespread recognition
