Saturday, November 15, 2008

Review - Repo! The Genetic Opera

Set in a near future, where a worldwide epidemic encourages GeneCo, a biotech organization to monopolize the organ donor market with a organ finaincing program. The only problem comes if you can not keep up with your payments, the deadly Repo Men are sent to take back the organs anyway they can. In this future where people are addicted to surgery and painkilling drugs a sheltered teenage girl searches for the cure to her disease and the mystery of her family's history. All of her questions will be answered at the highly anticipated Genetic Opera.

Written by Terrance Zdunich and Darren Smith and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, Repo! The Genetic Opera is a spectacular Rock Opera that is filled with a enthralling backstory, tons of mayhem and gore and a bittersweet tragedy of two disfunctional families. Repo! is highlighted with a hard hitting, sing-along inducing and riveting score and soundtrack that does not disappoint. Repo! however does not have mass or popular appeal, it definately is a niche or cult film, but is sure to become a classic with the partcular sub-culture.

Repo! has a dynamic backstory, well put together concepts and a wonderful plot development that all scream a flawlessly put together Opera. The opening of the film is done particularly well with the comic storyboarded backstory of the epidemic that struck the world and the vicious rise of GenCo and the Repo Men. At the opera's core is a narrator named the Grave Robber wonderfully played by script and score writer Terrance Zdunich, who unfolds the spine-tingling tragic story and it's central characters. The film rocks along at a great pace developing the characters through well written songs that are surrounded with stunning backgrounds and sets keeping the viewer enthralled throughout.

Repo! The Genetic Opera never strays away from gore or goth, but instead revels in it, and does a perfect job using the theme to encapsulate the mood. The Repo man himself has some enormously violent scenes as he takes back various organs from clients who could not afford their payments. Specifically the scene and song "Thankless Job" has moments of terror laced with humor, as we see the Repo Man cut and dissect a client as he removes his heart and other organs in a very comical yet vicious way. The climax too does not disappoint in gore, with a classic operatic tragedy that brings all of the characters together in a flawless ending.

The cast of Repo! The Genetic Opera is fabulous, especially Alexa Vega who plays Shilo and her father Nathan Wallace played by Anthony Stewart Head who also is secretly the Repo man. The father daughter relationship throughout Repo! is unsurpassed. Terrance Zdunich and Darren Smith through their song and story development peferctly displays the teenage angst of a isolated daughter and the want of a father to shelter his daughter from the dangers outside. Alexa Vega (Spy Kids) is outstanding in her performance as Shilo. Who knew she could sing so well and ultimately carry the film to the finale. Anthony Stewart Head was equally undamaged as the torn Repo Man and father. His songs are some of the strongest music in the film, which really help to lose the viewer in his bitter tragedy. The two of them together create a completely endearing story that compells the viewer into their unfortunate lives.

Paul Sorvino plays Rotti Largo, the CEO of GenCo who is disgusted by his three twisted children and their addictions. Sorvino does a unfailing job as the only tenor in the Opera and is masterful as the vindicative and spiteful father/owner of GenCo. Sorvino's work on the song "Gold" is very good and delicately unweaves his contempt for his children. Lastly, Rotti Largo's backstory plays heavy of the memory of the Nathan Wallace/Repo Man and their secrets make for some of best plot developments of the film.

Rotti Largo's children were the only disapointment in Repo! The Genetic Opera. Paris Hilton plays Amber Sweet who is addictive to the knive and the underground drug Zydrate. Hilton is agonizing to watch throughout the entire film. Her songs were the low-points of the film and score. Hilton comes close to ruining scenes she is merely in the background as well, but thankfully the rest of the film is so good, it outshines Hilton's dissmal performance. Bill Mosely plays Luigi Largo and does the least amount of singing in the film, for a good reason. Mosely just comes off as a completely unlikable in his character which ultimately, seemed to be the point. Rounding out the Largo family is Nivek Ogre from the band Skinny Puppy playing Pavi Largo. Pavi envokes memories of the Terry Gilliam cult classic "Brazil" with his tormented face that has had one too many surgeries and is now forced to just clip on various faces that represent his varying moods. Sadly, Pavi is a very minor character in Repo! and isn't given enough screentime to give the viewer any real feelings one way or the other on his character.

The music of Repo! The Genetic Opera is nearly flawless. There are maybe one or two low points of music that come at the fate of the three Largo siblings, but outside of that the music and score are outstanding. From beginning to end the music sets a strong mood that helps to develop the story and ultimately entrances the viewer into the cult film. The music and lyrics do an execptional job of delivering the story with real passion and score that consumes the film is always heavy hitting becoming a driving force in the film. The highlights of the score include 21st Century Cure, Legal Assassin, Zydrate Anatomy, Chase the Morning, Let the Monster Rise and At the Opera Tonight all leading up to the bittersweet and fantastic finale of both I Didn't Know I'd Love You So Much and Genetic Emancipation. The music is extremely memorable and you will definately find yourself seeking out the soundtrack after viewing. Disappointly though, the soundtrack tracks are out of the film's order. (I'd recommend purchasing it on iTunes so you can rearange the tracks to the correct order.)

Finally, Repo! The Genetic Opera is a masterful rock opera that tells a tragic story through a superb score and amazing character driven performances. I love musicals and Repo! did not disappoint in the slighest with music and story. The concepts and imagery used throughout Repo! are flawlessly developed and ultimaetly make for a rousing experience. Repo! is a film that can be enjoyed numerous times and is sure to become a cult classic that could potentially rival the midnight showings of "Rocky Horror Picture Show." I strongly recommend Repo! The Genetic Opera to all fans of musicals and especially to fans of goth and gore.