So much average

hyped garbage

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

There's a reason this flopped in theaters and grossed only 3/4ths of its production cost. The Jim Harrison novella may have been decent, but dear god was this film poorly executed. The character development was almost nonexistent and the plot was riddled with so many contextual gaps that not a single relationship portrayed was even remotely convincing. People just seemed to magically float into the protagonist's life with a level of closeness that was completely inexplicable, and thus bordering on comedic. Billing itself as a "romantic thriller," Revenge utterly failed to deliver core elements of either genre. In straining to come up with any redeeming aspects of the production, I can at least say the aesthetics were quality, but not so much that they stand out, and certainly not so much that they make up for the film's weaknesses in all other dimensions. 2/10.

A story about uncontrollable passion and desire that forces two people to act upon impulses they know they should put aside but they cannot control their true feelings, and act with reckless abandon. Madelaine Stowe is the lovely lady in an unfulfilling marriage to Tibby Mendez (Anthony Quinn) that Jay, Costner's character, almost immediately falls in love with. Tibby belongs to the Mexican underworld, probably a drug king-pin, and befriends Jay who saved Tibby's life in a hunting accident. When Tibby invites Jay to spend a few weeks at his estate in Mexico, he never imagined Jay would attempt to steal his lovely young wife.This is a solid story, with strong characters, and fine acting all around. However, understand what this film is not. This is not a 'date movie', and not a 'happy' story, but it does indeed reflect real life, and how things do not always end up rosy in the end, or the way we want them. It simply tells a good story, something many films never seem to accomplish, and we get to come along for the ride. It's racy, violent, passionate and moving all wrapped into one. I felt an understanding of the love, pain, betrayal and yes the need for revenge. It was entertaining and an epic portrayal of love and pain.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

I must admit that I have this movie in my 'Guilty Pleasures' collection. I am a sucker for stunning cinematography. Shot in Mexico, this Harlequin Romance is shot with many layers within each frame composition. The use of flowing drapes and curtains transform this world into a ultra-vivid paradise. Frequent use of tinting and long lenses deliberately push the landscape photography into gorgeous tourism commercials (Tony Scott has a background in TV spots). The story itself doesn't try to pretend it's anything more than the title suggests. Kevin Costner and Madeleine Stowe have an affair. Anthony Quinn is a big tycoon who is used to violence as a way of exacting his power. Miguel Ferrer and John Leguizamo are thinly drawn characters who happen to help Costner out once Quinn finds out about the affair.At this point, seedy Mexican dives become glowing and colorful hideouts as Costner tries to find Stowe, now left for dead somewhere. Smoke fills every shot, the heavy backlight look that was popular in the 80s. There's not much chemistry between Costner and Stowe, who tries to sound latino. Which is probably why this film was discarded and put out with the trash in the month of February. I happened to see it in a theatre, and almost could care less how well the acting or dialogue was. Here was a stunning location and unlikely subject matter for an A list movie star and director. The locations in Mexico are exploited with a loving eye to beauty. After all, this a romance.

"Revenge" is based on a novella by Jim Harrison who together with Jeffrey Alan Fiskin also wrote the screenplay. The plot is extremely simple and straight forward and doesn't contain any real twists or surprises but does gain some traction by the nature and intensity of the circumstances that the characters confront.This story of friendship, passion and betrayal leads inexorably to violent retribution and consequences that are tragic for everyone concerned. The circumstances that lead to such misery and loss are the result of extreme recklessness, sexual obsession and a completely unrealistic grasp of the dangers involved by a couple whose infidelity triggers a truly horrific sequence of events.Jay Cochran (Kevin Costner) is a U.S. Navy pilot who retires after 12 years service and decides to take up an invitation from an old friend in Mexico to visit his impressive hacienda. Jay and Tibey Mendez (Anthony Quinn) had become firm friends some years earlier after Jay had saved Tibey's life on a hunting trip. Tibey is now a very wealthy and powerful crime boss who's well connected politically and constantly surrounded by heavily armed henchmen.When Jay meets Tibey's much younger wife Miryea (Madeleine Stowe), there's an instant attraction between them and it isn't long before they embark on a passionate affair. Tibey quickly realises what's going on and he and his men break into a cabin where the lovers are together and viciously beat up Jay and kill his dog. Tibey then slashes his wife's face with a knife and after burning down the cabin, Jay is left for dead in the desert and Miryea is taken to work in a whorehouse and regularly injected with heroin.A compassionate Mexican finds Jay lying unconscious and gradually nurses him back to health. After making a full recovery, Jay sets off on a mission to find Miryea and hunt down Tibey.Anthony Quinn's age, physique and general appearance make him perfect for his role but the way in which he also skilfully displays the various facets of Tibey's personality is very impressive. His character is interesting because despite being friendly, generous and good humoured on most occasions, he's also an extremely violent man who's cruel, vicious and utterly ruthless.Jay shows a lack of respect for his host by turning up late and also seems oblivious to some of the tensions surrounding him at the hacienda. Presumably, as a pilot he was used to pushing the envelope at times and maybe this explains his over-confidence and insensitivity. Whether this is the case or not, his judgement is seriously flawed by any standards and the misfortunes that he suffers are of his own making.Kevin Costner is more convincing in portraying Jay's self-centred and impulsive behaviour than in showing the level of passion that drove Jay into getting involved in such a dangerous affair. Madeleine Stowe's performance, by contrast, is consistently strong as the reserved and tragic Miryea whose only consolation is that she ultimately gets to chose her own means of escape.The simplicity and predictability of the plot are the movie's greatest deficiencies but the locations used and the cinematography are together very successful in creating the atmosphere in which all the action, romance and violence take place.