Payback
Tags: comedy, neo noir, violence, atmospheric, flashback, plot twist, clever, humor, action, revenge, sadist

Plot synopsis:
Note: This is a synopsis of the threatrical release of PAYBACK. There is also a Director's Cut in circulation. The chapters are from the DVD of the film.1. Quality health care.A wounded man, Porter (Mel Gibson), has bullets extracted from his back by a scruffy-looking, middle-aged, medical guy, someone probably disbarred from legally practicing medicine, who uses alcohol in equal parts as a disinfectant and an emotional support.Porter; Voice-Over: "GSW. That's what the hospitals call it. Gunshot wound. Doctor has to report it to the police. That makes it hard for guys in my line to get what I'd call 'quality health care'. Not many men know what their life is worth. I do. Seventy grand. That's what they took from me. And that's what I was going to get back.Some time later, the now-recovered Porter walks across the 59th Street Bridge into Manhattan, but he's not feeling groovy. He is crossing his own private Rubicon.V.O. continues: "They say, 'Time heals all wounds.' You'd think that after five months of lying on my back, I would've given up any idea of getting even. Just be a nice guy, call it a day. Nice guys are fine. You've gotta have someone to take advantage of. But they always finish last.Porter helps himself to cash from a beggar's hat. The beggar, who had been loudly describing himself as "a cripple", leaps up, only to be restrained by Porter. ("Shut up! I cured you!") In a coffee shop, Porter uses his stolen cash to buy himself a cup of coffee and a small sandwich. He asks for a cigarette from the waitress at the counter, and then steals the packet of cigarettes from the waitress after paying the bill. (He does a lot of smoking in this movie.) On the street again, he picks a pocket of a wealthy businessman, taking a wallet. In a restroom, he examines the ID photo of the guy he robbed. The man in the photo is smiling. Porter tries to mimic the smile but it's a struggle; he hasn't had a lot to smile about lately. He withdraws a few hundred dollars in cash at a bank using the debit card, He buys a new suit for himself on credit using the stolen credit card. Next, Porter uses the credit card to purchase three gold wristwatches, which he pawns for a large .44 Magnum revolver and $500 in cash. That evening, he eats a meal in a fancy restaurant. When it comes time to pay the bill, a waiter tells Porter that the credit card has bounced -- its been cancelled, but Porter bluffs his way through and leaves without paying the bill despite the large amount of cash he has on him in $100 notes.2. Ain't marriage grand?That night, Porter waits outside an apartment block. An inebriated woman arrives, a willowy blonde named Lynn Porter (Deborah Kara Unger). Porter follows her inside and kicks in her apartment door. After looking around and finding no one else in the apartment, Porter stands over the stoned Lynn. She looks up and recognises him. ("You're not dead.") She clearly expects the worst from him. He picks her up and puts her on the bed. Porter spots her heroin stash. She grabs it. He takes it away from her. ("You're cleaning up.") He locks the door to her bedroom, then takes a shower. Alone in her bedroom, Lynn goes to her walk-in closet where it's revealed that she has a secret dope stash.Porter sleeps on the couch in the living room. Next morning, he wakes up and checks up on her in the bedroom. Lynn is dead from a heroin overdose. He pulls the needle out of her arm and stabs the syringe into the wall. It has his wedding ring hanging on it. He lies down on the bed next to her dead body.3. The heist.In a flashback sequence five or six months earlier, Porter speaks to someone called Val (Gregg Henry) on the phone. They're planning something. On the street, Val explains the target. Some Chinese gangsters have a set routine, servicing a Chinese money laundry. "How much do you need, Val?" says Porter. This is a key question. How much does Val need to buy his way back into a crime organization called "the Outfit"? Val replies, "$130,000."The Chinese gangsters drive past, up an alley. Porter observes them, then decides their program: "You notice anything about those guys? They weren't wearing their seat belts. We'll hit 'em on Friday."Cut to Friday. Porter driving flat out, down the same alley, but in the opposite direction. There is a head-on smash. Porter cuts free the bag of money. Val demonstrates that he is a sadist; he beats up an unconscious gangster for the fun of it. Porter's wife, Lynn, arrives in another car. The three depart together.4. Double-cross.Inside an empty warehouse, they count the money which adds up to $140,000 in cash, which means a 50-50 split to $70,000... not enough for Val. Porter says, "We got away clean. Always be grateful for what you get. Rule Number One, Val." There are signs of tension, mistrust. Val says, "This is funny. This'll kill ya. It's always $140 grand."Suddenly Porter's wife pulls a gun and shoots Porter twice in the back. Val explains to Porter: "Lynn did not understand." He shows him a photo of Porter and some other woman, very friendly. "Wives get funny when it comes to girlfriends." As a farewell, he kicks Porter in the head, then gets in the car and they drive away with all the money for himself. The flashback ends.5. "Worry about me."Porter is lying on the bed next to his dead wife. There is a knock at the door. A punk delivery boy is outside. ("Come on, Miss Porter, I don't have all day.") Porter drags him inside, searches him, and finds heroin. The kid has a smart mouth. Porter rips out a nose ring. ("Where'd you get the envelope?") The kid worries about "them". Porter says, "Worry about me!" The kid provides a name: Arthur Stegman, and an address. Porter says, "Thanks." Porter lets the punk kid go.6. Stegman's place.Porter climbs the steps to a rundown, upstairs office. A large black man is reading a newspaper behind the front counter. Porter asks for Arthur Stegman. The black guy says he's not there. Porter persists. "He at home?" The black guy suggests he go fuck himself.Cut to an inside room. Stegman (David Paymer) is playing craps with two plain clothes cops named Detective Hicks (Bill Duke) and Detective Leary (Jack Conley). The door opens. The large black guy enters, holding his head after apparently being punched by Porter. ("There's somebody here to see you.") Porter is behind him. ("I'm looking for Stegman. Your boy didn't make his delivery.") Porter throws the heroin on the table. The cops are surprised, but not troubled, to discover Stegman is a drug dealer. Stegman and Porter go outside.On the street, Porter asks where Val Resnick is. Stegman claims: "He's in the city, that's all I know. He said he squared himself with the Syndicate. That he was back in the big time." Porter says: "Well you tell him Porter is back too, and he wants his money."7. I'm working here.An Asian woman dominatrix named Pearl (Lucy Liu), arrives at the Oakwood Arms Hotel. A phone rings in a room. Val Resnick answers. ("Send her up.") The woman is directed to a hotel room. Val's phone rings again. ("Send her up. What's the problem?") But it's someone else, with news about Stegman. Pearl arrives at the door. They have a sado-masochistic exchange with both of them punching each other in their faces. The voice on the phone tells Val about Stegman getting a visit from some heavy. ("I thought you oughta know.") Resnick arranges a meeting.8. Only name's she got.Inside a dive bar, Porter talks to a woman. He's looking for a girl. "She goes by the name of Rosie." "I wouldn't know her," says the woman. Porter flashes some cash. ("Maybe you'd know someone who would.") He shows her the photo, folded in half so only the girl is in view. The woman unfolds it, sees it's Porter with her. "Try Michael. Bartender at the Regal Hotel," says the woman. She reaches for the money. "That wasn't the name I was looking for. The only one I got." There's a minor tug-of-war over a single bank note. Porter lets it go. Maybe he's softening.9. A little tense.Val Resnick arrives by taxi at a crappy looking restaurant to meet Stegman who tells him about his visit with Porter. Val asks about the guy. "What'd he say?" asks Val. "I just got the feeling he'd like to kill you, that's all", says Stegman. Resnick is rattled. He makes a threatening move against another customer. Stegman smoothes things over and they leave.10. Be discreet now.Inside a bar at the Regal Hotel, Porter is looking for Michael, who turns out to be a young but smarmy bartender. Porter asks about Rosie and offers him bribe money by laying out a $100 bill on the counter. But the trashy Michael implies that he wants more money by saying: "Usually these matters are conducted with more discretion." Porter angrily slams a door on his fingers, injuring Michael's hand. "Be discreet now," says Porter. Michael rings Rosie. Porter snatches the phone from Michael and takes over the call. "Who's this?" Rosie asks. "Porter." "Try again, honey. Porter's dead," says Rosie. Porter replies: "I used to drive for you. Provide a safe work environment." "Porter?" says Rosie. Porter leaves, but neverless leaves behind the bribe money for the injured Michael who is tending to his wounded hand.11. Old friends.As Porter walks toward Rosie's apartment building, we hear in V.O.: Why pour salt on old wounds? I didn't need to. I guess I had a soft spot for her.Rosie (Maria Bello) opens the door. (She is the same woman in the photo that Val showed Porter after betraying him months earlier). In contrast to his wife's reaction, she runs to Porter; embraces him. ("Come on, come in. You look pretty good for a dead guy.") They talk. She learns his wife is dead. ("I'm sorry, Porter." "Why?" "Surly Porter. You're the same as ever.") She walks into the lounge, where there is a large guard dog. "What's his name?" Porter asks. "Porter. He took your job after you left. He's just as tough, but he won't leave me." says Rosie. Porter says he's looking for Val Resnick. She knows him. She tells Porter that he is a top lieutenant with The Outfit, a local crime syndicate. ("He beats up all the girls. He almost killed one.") "Even you?" asks Porter. "Does it matter? You quit looking after me" says Rosie. She gives him Val's address.12. "Let her work."It's night in Resnick's room. He is asleep in bed with Pearl. Resnick wakes to find Porter looking at him. "Hi, Val. Where's my money?" says Porter. Val reaches for his gun, but Porter's already got it. "My seventy grand. I want it." Resnick tells him that he gave it all to the Syndicate as a bribe to be let back into their organization. "Tomorrow. Noon. You and the money be at the corner of 7th and Franklin at the payphone," Porter says before leaving. Porter asks Val about the photo with him and Rosie and how Val acquired it. "Some hooker had it. I recognised you. I swiped it in case I could use it," says Resnick. "Did you hurt her?" asks Porter. "What does that have to do with anything?" asks Resnick. Porter knocks him unconscious, then goes to leave. Pearl seductively says: "I've got a few minutes." Porter replies, "So? Go boil an egg."13. Mo more unpleasantness.The next morning, Val Resnick is in an office and sitting in front of Carter (William Devane), a mob under-boss of the Syndicate. The uneasy Val tells Carter about his ex-partner-in-crime Porter and Val wants him dead. "Phillip says you have a problem you need help with. You've allowed an area of your personal life to become a danger to us. Until the matter is handled, I want you to move out of the Oakwood Arms," says Carter. Val angrily leaves. Carter charges his right-hand man Phillip (John Glover) with the job of killing Porter. When Phillip asks if they should inform "the boss" about this, Carter tells Phillip to keep it to himself about the Val Resnick-Porter situation. Carter says: "I don't want Mr. Bronson hearing about this. He'll think I'm going soft. His motto is: 'if there's something that you don't understand, get rid of it'. Stitch this mutt up, Phil."Meanwhile, Pearl and Val talk on the phone. Pearl is with another S&M client in an apartment "Did your friends make it to town? Did you tell 'em it was Porter took their payroll?" asks Val. "I did. And they want retribution," says Pearl who is apparently connected with the Chinese Triad gangsters that Val Resnick and Porter ripped off.14. Porter's new friends.It's 12:00 PM. Val Resnick is standing in the street. Porter starts walking toward him. A car comes hurtling around a corner and knocks Porter down. Pearl and four Chinese gangsters get out and slap him around. Then the two corrupt cops, Hicks and Leary arrive forcing Pearl and her posse of Chinese thugs to leave. The two dirty cops stand up Porter to his feet and one of them says, "Stegman says you've got a line on a load of cash, Porter. 250 grand to be exact." The cops push him around. ("We've got a dead girl full of heroin. Don't worry, Porter. We're going to give you immunity. All you gotta do is get the money. Oh, we can't help you, though. It'd be against the law.") They slap him around some more and leave him in the alley.V.O. "Crooked cops. Did they come any other way? If I'd been just a little dumber, I could've joined the force myself."Porter has one of the cop's badges; he picked his pocket while they were shoving him around.15. Too thickheaded.A wounded and bruised Porter arrives at Rosie's apartment building. Resnick pulls up in a taxi (he's been following Porter), and watches him go inside. Rosie applies first aid to Porter. She gets angry and starts to walk away, but when she spots the photo of her and Porter together, she returns and asks: "When did you decide to leave? Was it the night we slept together?" "No. It was the next day when I had to drive you to work." "You could've asked me to quit." "You could've asked me to drive you somewhere else," says Porter. Porter puts on a clean shirt. Rosie says, "I think all the stories about you being dead were true, You're just too thick-headed to admit it." Porter and Rosie kiss. He leaves. She doesn't want him to. He says he has to.16. Val corners Rosie.There is a knock at the door. Rosie thinks it's Porter. Instead, it's Resnick. "Where is he? Porter?" asks Val. "He's in the bedroom." says Rosie. Resnick grabs her by the hair and forces her to walk in front of him. He walks into the darkened bedroom. As Val goes to shoot Porter in the bed, the dog leaps out. He shoots the dog. Rosie tries to hit Resnick, but. misses. He knocks her down. "Where is he?" Val asks. "He's gone." Rosie says. "I know you. You're that whore from the picture. I'm going to fuck you six ways from Sunday!" says Val. When Val asks Rosie how she knows Porter, she tells him that Porter used to work as a driver for a limo service and he used to drive her to various "jobs" while she worked as an escort and call girl for the Syndicate. Porter saved her from various johns that would rough up women.17. Hasn't got a light.The door bursts open. Porter enters, gun in hand, and shoots Val in the shoulder. Val goes for his ankle holster, and Porter shoots him in the leg. Porter says to Rosie: "I forgot my cigarettes.""All right, Val. This Syndicate or Outfit or whatever you call it, it's got a head man, right?", ask Porter."They'll kill me if I tell you anything, Porter," Resnick says."Worry about me!" says Porter.Resnick caves in and replies: "Fairfax and Carter. They run the whole city.""Where do I find them?" asks Porter.Resnick gives the address to Carter's office, then tries his I'll-be-your-friend routine. Porter shoots him dead. Rosie is shocked. Porter lights a cigarette and says: "Rosie, gather up everything you need. Say goodbye to this place."18. Wrong number.Porter walks into a rundown apartment, carrying the wounded dog, and followed by Rosie. She's not impressed by the apartment. ("It's not much, but at least you'll be safe. Nobody knows I live here. So relax.") The phone rings. "Nobody has this number!" exclaims Porter. He checks the phone, the cable, and finds a bomb under the bed. Porter looks out the window. There's a parked car with three heavies in it, one holding a phone. ("Somebody does know I'm here.")Outside in the street, there are three hoods in the car. Phillip is in the back seat. A knife cuts a fuel line. Fuel leaks out onto the road. Phillip says, "Okay, let's give them another bell." The driver picks up the phone, looks in the rear view mirror, sees Porter. ("Shit, he's behind us.") They turn to look. Porter drops a lighted cigarette. The fuel ignites, engulfs the car, which explodes killing Phil and the two thugs.V.O. "It's not just anybody that gets a hit put on them by a big firm like the Outfit. I was moving up in the world. Maybe it was time to pay them a visit. Carter wouldn't be expecting that. And, who knows, I might even get my money back."19. A ridealong.Porter walks round a corner at night. Opens a newspaper dispensing box, hides his gun under some newspapers. The two corrupt cops, Hicks and Leary, arrive in a car. Porter thinks again, retrieves the gun, hides it behind a newspaper. "What's up, buddy?" asks Hicks. "Well the money's in there, if you're still interested." says Porter. Stegman is in the back seat. ("What are you waiting for, Porter. Go get our money.") Porter says,"You guys do me a favor? They'll probably frisk me when I go in there." He pulls out the gun. "If you wouldn't mind holding onto this, just for a little while." One of the cops plays with the gun. ("Nice balance.") Porter leaves, walks into an impressive looking office tower building.20. Visiting Carter.A hood walks into an outer office and asks Porter: "Can I help you?" "I want to see Mr. Carter." says Porter. "Turn around so I can frisk you." says the thug. He frisks. A door opens on an inside office. Porter walks in. Carter sits at a desk, a heavy stands on one side, the other hood follows him in. Porter drops the two hoods; two punches, one kick to the head. Picks up a gun. Looks around.Carter says, "Bravo, sit down." Porter sits. "There's something you want from me?" says Carter. Porter explains all about Val and about the $70,000 which he gave to them as a part of his $130,000 bribe to be let back into the Syndicate, and Porter now wants the Syndicate to compensate him for the money of his share that Val stole from their robbery job."No corporation in the world would agree to what you're asking," says Carter."What about Fairfax, will he give me my money?" asks Porter."We're not authorised to do things like this," says Carter."Who is?" Porter asks. Carter replies that his superior and the leader of the Outfit: Bronson.Inside a mansion, Bronson (Kris Kristofferson) is working out on a rowing machine. A phone rings. Bronson and Carter start to talk, but Bronson's teenage son Johnny Bronson Jr. (Trevor St. John) walks in. ("Hang on Carter.") He gives his son the keys to a Ferrari. ("Happy birthday, son.") The kid has a new car and ringside tickets to the championship boxing fight tonight. The kid leaves. They resume the phone call. Both Carter and Porter overhear the conversation. Carter explains over the phone:"I have a problem. There's a man in my office with a gun, who says he's going to kill me if we don't pay him $130,000 that one of our lieutenants stole from him."Porter tries to explain that it's actually $70,000, half from a $140,000 job that he and Val Resnick pulled off. However, Bronson is clearly reluctant to negotiate with Porter (either because of pride or because he's afraid of hurting his tough-guy reputation). Porter becomes frustrated by Bronson's stalling tactic."Either I get my money or I kill Carter! My money. Yes or no?", asks Porter."No!" says Bronson.BANG. Carter falls from his chair... dead. Porter yells over the phone: "call Fairfax and tell him I just croaked Carter. And he's next, and then you unless I get my money!" After hanging up the phone, Porter picks up an address book off the desk, turns to Fairfax's address.21. Lighten the load.Porter walks back out onto the street. The two dirty cops are waiting in the parked car. Porter is still carrying the newspaper. "I don't see any cash," one says. "They gave me the runaround. I have to go see another guy. Can I have my piece back?" asks Porter. ("Oh, yeah.") Hicks empties the bullets from the gun and hands it back. Porter accepts it inside the newspaper. ("Nice Roscoe, Porter") Porter walks away.V.O.: "No one likes a monkey on their back. I had three on mine. And they were cramping my style. I was going to have to lighten the load."Inside Rosie's apartment, Val Resnick lies dead on the floor. Porter walks in, opens his newspaper and slides the gun with the two cops fingerprints on it next to the body. Then he takes out the cop badge he lifted earlier, wipes off his prints and places it in the dead guy's hand.22. They should have.Rosie is in a cafe, drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette, waiting. Porter walks in."They're not going to stop until they kill us, are they?" asks Rosie."No. I'm sorry I got you involved in this," says Porter."So why did you?" asks Rosie."When I came back here I had nothing. No life. No hope. You were the only good thing that hadn't been taken from me. I couldn't stay away. I had to see you just to make sure I wasn't in hell," says Porter."So why don't we get out of here?" asks Rosie."They won't stop until they bury us." says Porter"So?" says Rosie."So, we bury them first." says Porter.That same night, Porter is driving a limo. Rosie is in the back seat, wearing a party dress. He's looking at her in the rear view mirror. She catches him looking. Long slow, reflective moment. "I should have quit." "I should have driven you somewhere else."23. Happy birthday.Inside a stadium, two black guys are boxing. Crowd is into it, riding every punch. The bell goes, the round ends. Binoculars scan the ringside seats. Porter is watching. An electronic scoreboard lights up with "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHNNY". Three young guys ringside, Johnny Bronson in the middle, spot it. React. "That's me." Porter finds him. Outside the stadium, people are leaving. Johnny and friends walk out. Rosie calls out: "Hey Johnny!" They turn and look. Check her out from the feet up. She is sexy, seductive. ("I'm your birthday present.") The boys react. Both of Johnny's friends deny hiring her. "She's so fine", one of them says. They push him toward the limo. "Don't wait up, boys. I promise he won't be home before midnight," Rosie says. He follows her into the limo.The limo rolls along in traffic. Johnny is trying some preliminary nuzzling and fondling. ("There's a good boy.") She handcuffs one hand. Johnny is surprised. ("Who's the professional here? So go with it.") He relaxes. Rosie cuffs the other hand to the limo wall and then backs away. The divider slides down. Porter says: "Relax, kid, no one'll get hurt." Johnny's puzzled. "What's he talking about?" says Johnny.24. Two death threats.The next morning, a limo pulls up outside an expensive town house. The second mob underboss Fairfax (James Coburn) gets out. Two bodyguards carry Fairfax's suitcases inside. Stegman and the black guy sit in a taxi, watching. ("Porter and Fairfax. I bet that'll be a short conversation.") Stegman looks at a parked car in a side alley. ("Between us and our neighborhood cops, I'd say we got him pretty well covered.")Inside the house, a guy is slumped against the wall. ("Walter, wake up.") Fairfax walks into a very expensively furnished room. Porter emerges from behind a pillar, gun in hand. ("I'm the reason you're home early, Mr Fairfax. I want you to do me a favour. Call Mr. Bronson.") Fairfax picks up the phone and rings. "Hello. Mr. Bronson... well it's like this. I'm standing in my living room. There's a man here named Porter. He says that he expects you to pay him, sooner or later," says Fairfax. To Porter: "He wants to talk to you." "Put it on the speaker."On the phone from his house Bronson says, "To get rid of you, I'll swat you with the 130 grand!"Porter replies, "You people aren't listening. It's not 130..."But the angry Bronson cuts him off by saying, "No, you listen! You'll get your money, but you'll never live to enjoy it."Porter says: "You let me worry about that. And one condition; I want you to deliver the money yourself."Bronson asks: "What makes you think I'll deliver it myself?"Porter replies: "Because if you don't, you'll never see your son, little Johnny, again. He didn't come home from the fight last night, did he?"Bronson replies: "Bullshit! You haven't got him." Denial. Anger. Threats. Bronson asks where and when he will deliver the money.Porter replies: "I'll let you know."The angry Bronson says, "You just signed your own death warrant! Nobody messes with me, the Outfit, or my family!!!!"After Bronson hangs up, Porter leaves and tells Fairfax to tell Bronson that the money he wants is only $70,000. Fairfax is surprised and shouts as Porter exits: "Seventy? Only seventy thousand? Hell, all my suits together are worth more then that!"25. Lost items.Meanwhile, the two crooked cops sit in a parked car in an alley. Leary is reading the paper and oohing and ahhing over an ad for a sailboat, while Hicks is discussing the latest horse racing form and of them putting more bets and hope to make up for their $150,000 losses of betting. Suddenly, two guys in black suits walk up. They are from the police department's Internal Affairs Bureau. "You wanna step out of the car, please?" one of the IAB agents asks.Stegman and the black guy, watching, as cops in uniform walk with the Internal Affairs agents up to the car."What the hell is going on?" Detective Hicks asks."Is this your badge, detective?" as the IAB agent shows them in an evidence bag."Where'd you find it?" asks Leary."Where exactly did you lose it?" asks the IAB agent who shows him Porter's gun in a plastic bag. "Does this belong to you?" asks the agent. The two dirty cops realize, way too late, that Porter has framed them.As Hicks and Leary are being led away by the police, Porter walks out of Fairfax's house. Stegman sees him and he tells the black guy, "Follow him."26. A bad cab ride.Porter is crossing the street. A taxi comes round the corner. Porter hails, opens the door and Stegman is in the back seat holding a gun. "Get in, Porter!" he says. Porter gets in and drops his gun on the floor. As Stegman gloats, Porter snatches Stegman's gun out of his hand. ("You're not gonna kill me, are ya?") Porter bangs Stegman's head against the door. The black guy pulls out a shotgun. ("Let him go!") Suddenly, a van pulls up alongside containing four Chinese gangsters, plus Pearl, all of whom open fire with automatic weapons. In the wall of gunfire, Porter uses Stegman as a shield who gets killed as does the black guy. Porter crawls out of the car and opens fire on the Chinese gangsters, killing two of them. Pearl and her henchmen return fire. The driver puts the van in reverse, and slams Porter into a crate of boxes. Porter slides under the van and shoots through the floor, killing all of the surviving Chinese gangsters. When he climbs back up, Pearl appears outside the van and puts a gun against his head and immediately pulls the trigger... but she's out of bullets. Porter aims his gun at her and pulls the trigger... and he is also out of bullets. Just when Porter and Pearl seem about to engage each other in hand-to-hand combat, two well-dressed guys walk up and knock Porter unconscious. They drag him off to another car and drive away, leaving a bewildered Pearl beside herself on the street.27. Two little piggies.The thugs who grabbed Porter are Fairfax's men whom have apparently followed him from the mansion. Porter is tied to a chair in a warehouse and gets punched and beaten by Fairfax's thugs to try to get him to tell them where he is holding Bronson's son, Johnny. Porter, despite being worked over, refuses to talk. Just then Bronson and his head thug arrive. "Too late now", Fairfax tells Porter. Bronson throws a small black duffel bag with Porter's money to the floor."Here's the 130 thousand. That's as close as you'll ever get to it." Bronson tells Porter that he intends to kill him anyway since no one takes on him or his Outfit. Porter is too worked over and beaten to correct Bronson that he only wants $70,000. Bronson offers to kill Porter quick in exchange for telling him where Johnny is, and threatens several weeks torture if he doesn't. Bronson's henchman begins to smash Porter's toes with a hammer. After smashing two, the in-agony Porter relents and gives them an address to where Johnny is. A suspicious Bronson tells Porter: "You'll understand if I don't entirely trust you." They put him in the trunk of Bronson's limo and drive off to the address Porter gave them.28. Another wrong number.That evening, the limo pulls up outside an apartment. Inside the trunk, Porter struggles with his hands tied behind him. Five men get out of car, including Fairfax and Bronson, who tells two of the thugs to watch the front entrance while he, Fairfax and his lead henchman will go to the apartment to look for Johnny.As Porter struggles, Bronson, Fairfax, and the other henchman climb stairs. Rosie is seen in the apartment smoking a cigarette, with Johnny handcuffed to the radiator, watched by the dog.Porter frees his hands.The two men at front entrance light cigarettes.Porter finds a tire lever.The three men walk along a corridor.Porter pierces the back seat, gets his hands through. Porter gets through back seat and inside the car. He reaches for the car phone and dials just as the three men reach the apartment door. Bronson, his henchman, and Fairfax kick in door, guns in hand. Porter finishes dialing.The phone rings in the apartment (Porter's apartment) as the men discover the place is empty. Bronson answers the phone. Porter says into the phone: "You were right not to trust me." The bomb under the bed explodes, apparently killing Bronson, Fairfax, and the other henchman. The force of the explosion blows down the other two henchmen outside the apartment building as well as blows out the side windows of the limo. Porter sees the keys in the ignition. Porter also sees the black duffel bag with the $130,000 cash in the front passenger seat. He gets in the front seat, starts the car and drives away.29. Aiming high?Inside another apartment, Rosie hears a car horn. She looks out the window. Porter is standing beside her car after driving up in the damaged limo. Rosie gets the dog. ("It's been fun... See you later.") She leaves behind Johnny who is still handcuffed.Outside in the street, she asks, "What took you so long?" Rosie puts her luggage in the car trunk and her dog in the back seat as Porter gets in the front passenger seat. Rosie gets in the car and sees Porter's bloodied and bruised face and asks "What happened to you?""I got hammered", Porter says as he smiles properly for the first time. Rosie looks in the duffel bag, sees all the money."You got it!" Rosie says."Piece of cake." says Porter.Rosie starts the car and asks: "Where to?""Just drive, baby." says Porter. As Rosie drives off with Porter and her dog, a final voice-over narration from Porter closes the film.V.O. "We were going for breakfast... in Canada. We made a deal. If she'd stop hooking, I'd stop shooting people. Maybe we were both aiming high."The car disappears around a corner.THE END.

Review: Homage to film noir, combined with usual Gibson tongue-in-cheekness, and some fabulous supporting roles from the likes of Coburn, Kristofferson, Liu, and Devane.
Payback, while admittedly one of the more violent movies out this year, was definitely an entertaining flick.Like the promo catch phrase says, this time you'll root for the bad guy.
Frankly, I don't think anyone else could have pulled off this role and still kept the support of the audience like Gibson did, but then he generally always plays the good guy with a twist.
This time, the twist is a little more savage than usual.All in all, if you enjoy the occasional violent romp on the big screen and you're a fan of Mel Gibson; Payback is worth seeing..
In a weird way, the main character Porter (who was Walker in the Lee Marvin film, played this time by Mel Gibson who is almost as good as Lee Marvin.
And maybe I could have done without a lot of the S&M and B&D scenes in the newer version but I chalk that up to the changes in the world since the 1960s.Long before there was a Quentin Tarrantino, there were great directors like Don Siegel, Sam Peckinpah and Sam Fuller who were as tough as nails and not just some fan who knew how to use the best of all of these guys brilliant touches, and add some sick jokes.
And that goes right down to the underrated David Paymer as a pathetic hustler (who could easily have been played in earlier times by an Elisha Cook Jr. as he did with the Wilmer role from "The Maltese Falcon" yet Paymer does so with more humor.) It is hard to make one root for people so lacking in morals but director, writer and actors manage amazingly well.Both "Payback" and "Point Blank" are instant classics that should be considered as such.
Difference with most other entertaining movies is that this movie also has a great story!The movie is completely driven by the main character played by Mel Gibson.
He plays a great and fun criminal who is an anti-hero and a total bad guy but still someone for who you can feel and cheer about.
The movie also features lot's of other great actors including James Coburn in a very fun role, Kris Kristofferson, Lucy Liu, Bill Duke and David Paymer.
There are also some nice action sequences in which Mel Gibson's character might be featured a bit too much as an hero.Nothing about this movie indicates that there were troubles on the set during filming with the director Brian Helgeland, on the contrary!
Payback directed by Brian Helgeland is a classic "film noir" following the tradition of urban "gangster movies" and Mel Gibson is giving an outstanding performance as Porter - the bad guy who is only slightly better than the rest of the gangsters, hoodlums, crooks and scoundrels to be met in the film."Payback" is a great movie in this genre.
Westlake, who has written the novel on which the film is based, has picked up the thread of Raymond Chandler and Dashiel Hammett to create an authentic universe with "real" characters, and Brian Helgeland has succeeded to bring this universe to the screen.Everything about this movie is great - the storyboard, the cast, the direction and the soundtrack.
Rough characters, rough violence and rough language all comprise this re-make of the 1967 film "Point Blank," which starred Lee Marvin.Mel Gibson is the "good guy" here, taking Marvin's role, but I put that in quotes because he's not really "good," just a thief attempting to get his $70,000 back which was stolen from him by his partner and ex-wife in a former heist.
I'ts not often a film comes along that has a great script , great acting and good soundtrack but Payback has all these.Mel Gibson plays a guy who has been ripped of by the tune of $70,000 and this is the violent story of how he get round to getting it back.The film takes you on a journey where you ride many twists and turns and you meet lots of great personalities  on the way , most of which end up dead.
The film stars Mel Gibson as Porter, Gregg Henry as Val Resnick, Maria Bello as Rosie, Lucy Liu as Pearl, Deborah Kara Unger as Lynn Porter, David Paymer as Arthur Stegman, Bill Duke as Detective Hicks, Jack Conley as Detective Leary, John Glover as Phil, William Devane as Carter, James Coburn as Fairfax, Kris Kristofferson as Bronson (Theatrical Cut), Sally Kellerman as Bronson (Director's Cut), Trevor St. John as Johnny Bronson (Theatrical Cut), Freddy Rodriguez as Valet, Manu Tupou as Pawnbroker.
Gregg Henry is impressive he evokes the spirit of Dan Duryea.Unfortunately the film goes somewhat slowly off the rails with various scenarios, i.e. Porter cutting a gas line under a an 80s Lincoln which would be physically impossible to do, you can't squeeze under that type of car, no way, and the unneeded extraneous additions of dominatrix Pearl (Liu ) and the Chinese Tong machine gun battle where it veers off into Action film and touches on Tarantino land, when it didn't have to, a shame.
This dark and delicious film stars Mel Gibson as Porter, a former Mafioso who was left for dead by a former running partner and robbed of his half of a heist ($70,000.00)and Porter's single-minded quest to get his money back, not concerned with what he has to do or who has to kill to get it.
Mel Gibson plays a thug, Porter, who is out for some payback against a friend who screwed him over in a, lets just say, financial matter.
and this technique of leaving it up to the viewer's imagination works well for other things too, such as implied violence, in reservoir dogs, and implied intelligence (any morgan freeman character)but here in Payback mel Gibson just does exactly the opposite, the movie acts as a kind of two hour buildup of the his character's factor of badass-ness, with little plot, or development, or nuance along the way.
By the end of the film the Mel Gibson has established a classic movie badass.it works!8 out of 10.
I can only recommend the film especially if you like Mel Gibson, or the old Clint Eastwood movies..
I disliked PAYBACK because I couldn't identify with any of the characters, and the thing that really scares me is to see how many people did identify with the brutish, nasty little thief who stars in this movie.Porter (Gibson) is a professional criminal who plans a brutal robbery, but finds himself cheated out of his own share of the loot.
But best of all is Lucy Alexis Liu as Pearl, the sadomasochist to whom all the violence is just a game.These few bright spots failed to distract me from the underlying fact that PAYBACK is a lousy film with a lousy script and at times is damn near unbearable to watch.
The movie story is of a thief called Porter (Mel Gibson).
It is essentially a blending of generic codes and conventions of hard-boiled noir from Hollywood of the 1940s mixed in with more action orientated American crime pictures about men, their guns and masculinity from the 1970s – think a Dirty Harry sequel but ten times better.The film's noir archetypes complete with voice-overs blend nicely with the lead's persistent flitting between lonely, down-trodden noir infused lead and gun's-blazing action hero, as he takes on a variety of shady and unlikeable villains out to do more harm than our lead is.
Outside, the American flags are left to fly beside the entrance - they hang, loosely and limply, almost ashamed to fly high and proud because of what lies inside and how it is the inhabitants came to be as rich and successful as they have done: by way of the amoral American dream of a gangster lifestyle.The film is full of people chasing a similarly ill-advised and immoral dream, that longing for money that they have not earned cleanly and honestly: a corrupt policeman wanting a boat without having to life a finger; a wormy cab dispenser willing to just waltz someone into The Mob for a large bounty; a two-timing thief willing to grass up an old friend.
Thrown together without any real concern over whether it makes any sense.In the movie, Gibson plays a vicious con man named Porter.
The only puzzlement is whether Mel Gibson's contract requires that his character be abused to the extreme by the bad guys in all of his movies.
I'm sure mainstream fans love this film as this offers exactly what they want: entertainment and an excuse to munch pop corn and "have fun" watching a movie.The film is full of usual cliches and irritating characters that act so calculatingly as possible.
I avoid bad movies so was expecting at least an ok, entertaining couple of violent hours but this was almost unwatchable.I sat through it all just so i could comment on the whole film in case it got any better- it didn't.So this in summary is the worst big budget film of the nineties and maybe ever..
Marvin's Walker is, specifically, a professional THIEF; thus the task of the storyteller is to let him get his revenge without actually killing anybody (since that would take him beyond his profession, into the role of murderer, with all sorts of worries attached to it that Walker doesn't really want).Both Payback's director, Helgeland, and star Gibson have missed this entirely.
This relationship isn't going to last very long.Gibson's Porter, on the other hand, finds in the prostitute Rosie "the one good thing in life that hasn't been taken away." So Payback will need to find a way of resolving this new, exciting - and very UNprofessional - relationship by the end of the film (and I won't say how).Does this make Gibson's Porter more "human" than Marvin's Walker?
Thus despite his being a cold-blooded killer, Porter is really just another variant on the suicidal Vet-cum-Cop Gibson plays in "Leathal Weapon." The flatness of the characters in Payback is to some extent relieved by the excellent performances of the cast, all of which make these stereotypical genre figures seem believable - but it's all Hollywood, in the last analysis.One more comparison between the two films is worthwhile here.
If you are looking for another nobody-really-seen-hurt comedy / action like Lethal Weapon, this is not your film, however.Who should see this film:-- Action film buffs who won't mind a bit overaverage violence(more than "Ransom")-- Mel Gibson fans (but see everything else first)Like most raters, I'll give Payback a 7 out of 10..
Mel Gibson plays tough as nails thief Porter, who is double crossed, shot, and then left for dead by his wife Lynn (Deborah Kara Unger) and his partner in crime Val Resnick (Gregg Henry).
`Payback', starring Mel Gibson is about the worst film I  have laid my senses on.Bad does not even begin to describe this mish-mash of blood, guts, crappy language, perverted sex and stupidity.
Lucy Liu was so f****n sexy in this movie with all that BDSM stuff...all the comic stuff its cool..Mel Gibson was not so unbeatable in this movie as it looked..like Bruce Willis for example..or Steven Seagal, Gregg Henry its a mean bad-ass , bottom line ..a good action flick , you must see.
Finally, a good revenge movie starring Mel Gibson..
didn't really root for the Bad Guy. Porter (Mel Gibson) is a bad, bad man and he's looking for revenge on all those who backstabbed him.
Payback (1999)On the surface this seems like a boilerplate crime movie, and with Mel Gibson giving it his trademark flavor.
Porter (Mel Gibson) left to die by his wife and crime partner Val Resnick (Gregg Henry) who shot Porter in back and robbed Porter's half from heist money.
Porter's character is essentially a bad guy and probably worse than some of the people he dispatches of but nevertheless you root for him and take great enjoyment in watching him at work.
The level of excessive violence and Porter's lack of compassion set the film further apart from the usual revenge scenarios found in most crime films today.The script does take a few convenient turns, making Payback not all that believable in parts, but honestly, I can't say that a few implausibilities here and there deter from the overall enjoyment.Supporting cast is right on the money, with old vets like Kris Kristoffersen, William Devane and James Coburn turning in terrific performances.
Maria Bello makes for a very likable love interest and Gregg Henry finds new lows for one of Porter's main villains.I can't wait for the revised Director's Cut. Advanced word says it's even better and it's an entirely different cut of the film.
This is where the movie gets good because there are a ton of obstacles in Porter's way and each detour or change of plans brings in a new character that's a ton of fun to follow.
The film is often very funny because everyone is so outlandish and you can never predict what kind of new and colorful thug is going to show up next to ruin Porter's day.Part of the fun of seeing "Payback" is getting this glimpse at a most seedy underground, but a lot of it is simply seeing a guy so determined to get what's his that he is willing to do anything.
This movie is so bad its hard to know where to start.As it opens for about the first 10 minutes you have hope for this thing the cinematography is great...but about the time Gibson tears the earring off the heroin delivery boy it heads into a steep dive.
Mel Gibson plays a clever yet stubborn man who gets beaten up troughout the movie by his former corhorts in crime who took the money they stole together.
Strong plot, good action and a likable character in Mel Gibson.
Everything about the film is still dandy until it falls into typical Mel Gibson, "Lethal Weapon" conventions with the introduction of Kris Kristopherson's character (though Kris is always a great bad guy).
Mel Gibson plays the character Porter who was betrayed by his friend Val and wife Lynn who took his share of the money and then was left for dead.
Even for someone who does not particularly like violence this film is thoroughly enjoyable for it sets a justice-seeking "bad guy" (who was double-crossed by wife and best friend) against the arrogant bosses of "The Outfit".
The only problem with the movie I had was that Porter seemed to become a nicer guy on his path to get the money, which made his bad guy character seem like typical hollywood hero.Filled with action, humor, and a great cast like James Coburn, William Devane, and Kris Kristofferson, Payback is an ABSOLUTE rent and would make a great addition to a video collection when it comes out to buy..
Like most Mel Gibson movies, this one is very entertaining.
Perhaps you have to be a real Mel Gibson fan to watch this, but thank goodness I did not pay money to watch it in a movie house.
The voiceover is annoying and unnecessary, the love story doesn't work, but worst of all Gibson's Porter character comes off looking like an idiot.
However, due to this was the film-noir style and Brian Heldgeland try to make this movie dark and crude, so many thing in the movie was very bad liked the women's beating..
The humor is entertaining and works as a breather between the action scenes, but it would have been a better and more original film if it was tough all the way through.I guess that the producers wanted Payback to be more of a Lethal Weapon movie rather than an homage to Point Blank or Death Wish.
But, in attempting to out-cynical the (already very cynical) models upon which it is based, the movie becomes spoofish and self-conscious, falling short of the mark and making it impossible to really "root for the bad guy." Ironically, this film also fails by pasting a happy-ending on to a genre that traditionally ends with the hero dead or in jail, usually after being betrayed by the love interest (Mel gets the girl, of course).
Payback is my 2nd favorite Mel Gibson movie.
I wouldn't call it a full-on action movie, but it does have some good stuff to it that is action-packed.Mel Gibson plays this thief named Porter, who got betrayed by his partner, Val, and his wife, Lynn.
He then begins tracking down Val Resnick (Gregg Henry), his former partner, and Lynn (Deborah Unger), his ex-wife, both of whom left him for dead following a $140,000 heist from the Chinese triads.Although this is probably one of Mel Gibson's best roles, I have to also give a shout-out to the character Bronson (Kris Kristofferson).
Mel is great as the action hero as usual and the movie is entertaining very simple but what can you expect from an action movie.This movie is about a man named Porter(Gibson) who is a career thief.
I love Gibson and this movie is entertaining and a really fun watch if you like action movies check this one out..
Porter got at least a sense of honor and only wants "his" money back (well, in a way, he worked for it and it was dirty money anyway) - so, Mel Gibson plays a character who is not so bad but pretty different from his usual characters.
Payback is Director&Screenwriter Brian Helgeland's debut film and it is a familiar story of revenge told in a new and interesting way.Payback tells the story of a man named Porter (Mel Gibson) who when stealing money from a group of men he is double crossed by his partners who leave him for dead and take his share of the money.
Another surprisingly good Mel Gibson film..
It is strange to see Mel Gibson as the 'bad guy' - but you can't help taking a liking to his 'shady' character.