Wrath of Man is a little different than your garden variety revenge flick

 

For a while there, I was a little worried that Guy Ritchie may have forgotten how to Guy Ritchie. Sure, Aladdin was a Disney flick and some sanitizing of Ritchie's directorial style, but after the first five minutes or so, there was nothing about that movie that suggested Guy had anything to do with it.

But after seeing Wrath of Man, I can happily report that Guy Ritchie still has his Guy Ritchie-ness intact.

Wrath is an epic crime drama about a man known as H (Jason Statham) who takes a job riding shotgun in an armored car. H is a mysterious kind of cat, with a set of skills that far outstrip the kind of abilities a man of his background should have. After taking down an entire crew of thugs during an attempted armored carjacking, the questions really start to fly. 

We start getting answers as the movie unspools. It turns out that H is a man on a mission, out to avenge the murder of his son. Meanwhile, a crew of ex-military men led by Jackson (Jeffery Donovan) plans a heist that will secure both them and their families for life. As H's path converges with the path of Jackson and his guys, what drives H comes into clearer focus and backstabbers are revealed.

I went into this movie expecting something a little more action-oriented and comedic than I got but I'm not complaining. Wrath sprawls out like Goodfellas or The Godfather, painting a picture of how a life of crime can only end in betrayal, heartbreak and blood. It plays out several different perspectives on the robbery that opens the film, giving you bits of information that you need to get a more complete picture of what happened. Every time we see it, we learn more about who H is and what drives his actions.

In telling the story, Ritchie has cut way back on his usual flashy editing and wild camera work. He plays the story out in more traditional coverage, though that doesn't mean Ritchie has completely abandoned the visual sizzle. The opening crime plays out in one long take shot from inside the armored car that gives you all the information Ritchie wants to give you. Quick flash cuts tie scenes, even specific visuals, together. 

Best of all, Ritchie can still tell a violent crime story like few other filmmakers can. The murders are brutal, at times graphic, but they need to be to sell the point of the story. He knows how to get inside the heads of criminals and make you understand their motives without making you abandon the hero of the piece. He knows how to make crime appealing and repulsive at the same time.

Ritchie gets plenty of support from his cast. Statham is perfect for H because he's is able to play out his pain and desperation with his eyes while the rest of his face stays stony and stoic. Holt McCallany gives excellent support and Josh Hartnett is better in this than anything else I've ever seen him in. And Eddie Marsan was the closest thing this movie has to comedy relief.

Wrath of Man has action, drama, revenge and everything else you need to put together a cracking crime epic. It recalls great crime dramas of the past without being a cookie-cutter knock-off of anything that's come before. It kept me guessing, which is refreshing in this era where every movie has the same plot twists. I recommend checking it out if you have a chance.