Contents


PAYBACK


Get Ready To Root For The Bad Guy

1999




Payback (1999)  

Directed by 
Paul Abascal   (uncredited)  
Brian Helgeland    
  
Writing credits (in credits order) 
Donald E. Westlake   (novel The Hunter) (as Richard Stark) 

 
Brian Helgeland   and 
Terry Hayes    
  
Cast (in credits order) 
Mel Gibson ....  Porter  
Gregg Henry ....  Val  
Maria Bello ....  Rosie  
Deborah Unger ....  Lynn Porter  
David Paymer ....  Stegman  
Bill Duke ....  Detective Hicks  
Jack Conley ....  Detective Leary  
William Devane ....  Carter  
Kris Kristofferson ....  Bronson  
John Glover ....  Phil  
Lucy Alexis Liu ....  Pearl  
rest of cast listed alphabetically  
Mark Alfa ....  Johnny's Friend #2  
Kwame Amoaku ....  Radioman  
Justin Ashforth ....  Michael the Bartender  
Len Bajenski ....  Fairfax Bodyguard #1  
Kate Buddeke ....  Counter Girl  
Jean Carol   
Price Carson ....  Bronson's Heavy #1  
Roddy Chiong ....  Chow Thug #2  
James Coburn ....  Fairfax (uncredited)  
Art Cohan ....  Bronson's Heavy #2  
Andrew Cooper (I) ....  Whipping Boy  
James Deuter ....  Tailor  
Doc Duhame ....  Fatboy  
David Dunard ....  Doctor  
Nathan Effron ....  Johnny's Friend  
Tom Equin ....  Razor Clean #1  
Brian Heinberg ....  Bartender #2  
Alex Henteloff ....  Varrick's Manager  
Jeff Imada ....  Chow's Bodyguard  
Michael Ingram ....  Chow's Thug #1  
Robert Kim ....  Chow's Courier  
Robert Kurcz ....  Oakwood Arms Manager  
Turk Muller ....  Black Suit  
Chet Nichols ....  Oakwood Arms Tough #1  
George O'Mara ....  Driver  
Yasen Peyankov ....  Panhandler  
Ed Pfeifer ....  Ed Johnson  
Katrina Phillips ....  Teller  
Freddy Rodríguez ....  Punk Messenger  
Michael Skewes ....  Fairfax Bodyguard #2  
Alex Skuby ....  Oakwood Arms Tough #2  
Trevor St. John ....  Johnny  
Lee Stepp ....  Bar Patron  
Daniel Patrick Sullivan ....  Razor Clean #2  
Tedd Taskey ....  Waiter  
Manu Tupou ....  Pawnbroker  
Marc Vann ....  Gray  
Sterling Wolfe ....  Elevator Hood  
  
Produced by 
Bruce Davey    
Stephen McEveety   (executive)  
  
Original music by 
Chris Boardman    
  
Cinematography by 
Ericson Core    
  
Film Editing by 
Kevin Stitt    
  
Casting 
Marion Dougherty    
  
Production Design by 
Richard Hoover    
  
Art Direction 
Troy Sizemore    
  
Set Decoration 
Sandy Struth    
  
Costume Design by 
Ha Nguyen    
  
Production Management 
Jim Lemley ....  unit production manager  
  
Assistant Director 
Mark Cotone ....  first assistant director  
Laura Nisbet ....  second assistant director  
  
Sound Department 
Bill W. Benton ....  sound re-recording mixer  
Trip Brock ....  dialogue editor  
Gary Coppola ....  foley mixer  
Bruce Stubblefield ....  supervising sound editor  
Thomas Vicari ....  score mixer
score recordist  
  
Special Effects 
Bob Stoker ....  special effects supervisor  
  
Stunts 
Mic Rodgers ....  stunt co-ordinator  
  
Other crew 
Timothy A. Burris ....  assistant production accountant  
Chris Carriveau ....  lead man  
Vince Duque ....  dga trainee  
Kelli-Michelle Evans ....  location assistant  
Barry Franenberg ....  property master  
Jim Harrison (II) ....  music editor  
Steve Kraus ....  dailies projection technician  
Kathryn Mueller ....  camera loader  
Kevin Potter ....  first assistant camera  
Sioux Richards ....  script supervisor  
Michael T. Ryan ....  supervising music editor  
Dean M. Simmon ....  second assistant camera  
Michael D. Weldon ....  first assistant camera  
  

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PAYBACK
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1999 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****):  ***

Like the Energizer bunny, Mel Gibson, as usual, gets beaten to a pulp, but, with blood flowing everywhere, he just keeps on going and going in PAYBACK, a smart new thriller by director Brian Helgeland, the screenwriter for L.A. CONFIDENTIAL.

As a crook known only as Porter, Mel gives a tough but controlled performance. Porter will surprise you with unexpected actions and reactions, but this time Mel never overacts or tries to be too cute as he frequently does in his LETHAL WEAPON series. With this restraint comes the most empathetic acting he has done since RANSOM.

As we meet Porter, he's near death. On a dirty kitchen table, an "doctor" is operating on him. Pouring cheap whiskey over Porter's back as an antiseptic, the doctor extracts slugs from Porter's back. The story concerns Porter's attempt to get back his share the loot from a robbery, $70,000 to be precise, and he insists on being very precise. The running joke in the movie is that everyone assumes he wants the heist's entire take, $130,000, since no one would go through as much grief as he does just to recover his $70,000 share.

Written by Helgeland and DEAD CALM's Terry Hayes, the movie has the crisp dialog of a good, old detective movie. "Good guys are nice," Porter tells us in a raspy voice-over. "You always have to have someone to take advantage of. But they always finish last."

Cinematographer Ericson Core provides the film's stunning look. Core, whose work was one of the few good parts of the film 187 from two years ago, gives the images a grimy, seedy look. The colors have been washed out so that only the blues remain. The browns and flesh tones appear to have been added back in, and shadows bathe every scene. Chris Boardman's moody, mysterious music adds to the movie's heavy atmospherics.

PAYBACK, which has a definite L.A. CONFIDENTIAL feel, creates a sleazy world of low-rent hoods, flashy big time "syndicate" criminals, drug dealers, crooked cops and kinky prostitutes. The screenplay takes simple setups, like a robbery "hit," and finds ingenious ways to stage them.

The secret of the movie is the depth of the supporting cast, and the way the intelligent script is able to make each stand out. Gregg Henry plays Val Resnick, Porter's partner and nemesis. Val's a blonde-headed wild man, who has many weaknesses, not the least of which is his proclivity for violent sex. Lucy Alexis Liu, from the television series "Ally McBeal," plays a comically tough prostitute named Pearl, who's more than a match for Val.

Best of all the supporting cast are the higher-ups in the syndicate, played in delicious, small parts by James Coburn, William Devane and Kris Kristofferson. Although totally absent of morals, they live their respectable, normal lives as if they were investment bankers. But don't cross them, or they will shoot you -- or worse.

Like a roller coaster, in which the riders delight in screaming down every precipitous fall, PAYBACK loves to make the audience grimace. Porter will get or give a dose of instant pain as the audience collectively cries out and then falls silent waiting in silent, subconscious anticipation for the next big drop -- exhausting but fun.

PAYBACK runs 1:44. It is rated R for strong violence, profanity, drug use and sexuality and would be fine for older teenagers.

Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: www.InternetReviews.com




Have I seen this movie: Yes
And what did I think: Mel Gibson plays a much harder and nastier character in this movie then we usually see him play. It's a change, but I prefer the other Mel better. He plays Porter a man left for dead by his wife and friend and spends the movie trying to get back a paltry sum of $70,000 even if it means his life. Why someone would go through all that trouble is beyond me. He gives a good performance here and is surrounded by some good supporting characters as well. One of the more interesting ones, is Pearl, played by Lucy Liu of Alley McBeal fame. She plays a dominatrix who thrives on pain. There are some other good performances here by James Coburn, and Kris Kristofferson. This is a very gritty film filled with lots of blood and violence, so if that doesn't appeal to you I wouldn't recommend it even if you do like Mel Gibson. The tag line is get ready to root for the bad guy, but I found it difficult to do so because he just played too nasty of a character. However, It's a good movie, and if you like violent films and want to see a different side to Mel, then check this one out.

I give Payback 3 out of 5 stars
Review written August 5, 1999
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