Vengeance
★ ★★★
Vengeance is an NPR fever dream of how a conservative West Texas town would handle the death of one of their own. I don't think this film gets close to the brilliance of a Coen brothers' film, but it embodies the Coen spirit with dark themes mixed in with absurdist comedy. B.J. Novak (director/writer/lead actor) has been a touted writer, both in television and books, and I thought this was an impressive film debut. I love dark comedies and he knows how to draw characters and settings that really command your attention. Having traveled to West Texas numerous times, there is a lot that the film (hilariously) gets right about the culture. Other times, I couldn't tell if he was picking on his colorful ensemble. He is able to make you look at this world in a different light, but I'm unsure if people will laugh or be offended by his portrayal of this small Texas town.
I commend Novak for taking on the task of tackling a lot of current issues that reside in our nation's sentiment in this murder mystery tale. For most of the film, he is able to cleverly weave these different perspectives through vibrant and memorable characters. But the plot catches up to itself and I'm still not quite sure what to think about the ending. He gets a little too clever for his own good, but I really enjoyed the journey that you take to get to that point. Vengeance is a little bit messy, but it really challenges the viewer to take stock of one's own beliefs. Perspective is everything in today's world, and with this comedy, Novak proves that his perspective is worth exploring.
If anything, it shows you the dire importance of choosing the correct college football team to root for.
