Gritty and unnerving tale of revenge and redemption

Rating: 9/10 (15 February 2009)

This movie is not for the queasy among us. There is quite a bit of violence in this picture - hence the R rating.
I'm typically not a fan of movies that overdo violence - but make an exception if it is tied to a good story that seems to justify such a harsh reaction. Usually the way a movie gets the viewers sympathies is to tie it to an injustice to a child. Who among us doesn't detest the harming of a child. (In this case, I find it similar to another Denzel film, JOHN Q)
Add to that a sympathetic anti-hero. A former special ops assassin in the character of John Creasy, played so beautifully by Denzel Washington. He has done such horrible things in his past that he resorts to drinking excessively to be able to live with himself. He takes the job as Pita's bodyguard almost unwillingly, but soon grows fond of her, in spite of his best efforts to remain detached. He is devastated when he fails to protect her and determines to seek revenge on all involved - and to at last redeem himself from his failures. Denzel has a unique ability to gain audience sympathies - he is the quintessential "everyman" that we all can relate to. I'm not sure Tom Cruise or Bruce Willis ( all considered for the role) could have accomplished this nearly as successfully.
I have to say the director did an amazing job of capturing the mood and atmosphere of the story and the time and the place. What stands out most is the cinematography that utilizes the hyper camera work - with the shaky, hand-held shots and the jumping cuts and editing. It keeps you on guard and not knowing what is going to happen next. It frames a world that is out of control and you feel it.
I loved some of the dialogue and there are some great one-liners in this film: "A bullet never lies - it always tells the truth"; "Revenge is a meal best served cold"; "Forgiveness is between them and God...My job is to arrange the meeting"; "Creasy's art is death, and he is about to paint his masterpiece."
Dakota Fanning as Pita was simply amazing. The fact that she was only 9 at the time of filming blows my mind. She is quite a natural talent, and has proved she has staying power so far. She and Denzel shared a great chemistry between them.
The music was a great addition to the film and had one of the most varied selections I've heard. Some of the more unusual choices was a Spanish version of "Hey Mickey", Linda Ronstadt's "Blue Bayou", as well as the beautifully haunting music that is the same as heard in "Gladiator" by Lisa Gerrard. The classical pieces by Chopin and "Claire de Lune" by Debussy were unusual choices but worked - I think it helped to give the movie a sympathetic heart to contrast with the violence. "Una Palabra" was also a stand out piece and had an eerie and tragic sound - even though I couldn't understand a word.
This is a movie that at times will not only saturate your senses, but also assault them. I guarantee it is not a film you will soon forget.