Repo! The Genetic Opera! Worth it to see it!

Well, here we are on a Monday morning, after a highly successful Thanksgiving weekend. Despite the usual T-day affairs and the crush of a long holiday weekend, I decided to spoil myself and go out to see a movie that had been recommended highly to me. So, on a blustery, chilled, Saturday night, I trekked my way to the Village East Cinema on 2nd Ave in NYC to see "REPO - The Genetic Opera."

Quite frankly, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm not much of a Sci-Fi guy, and musicals rarely do it for me either. But I figured that I'd give it a shot, and perhaps, come away with a find. Did I ever!

Set in the future, with a costume gallery, scenery, and props to make anyone in the fetish world happy, REPO comes on strong and keeps the throttle open the whole time. I was absolutely AMAZED at how well it flowed and unlike so many, there never seemed to be a "stall point" where you begin to look at your watch.

The basic premise of this film is that there is a pandemic of organ failures amongst the population. A large biomedical corporation, GENECO sets up a system where one can purchase the organs needed for survival, harvested from the dead, for a price. Payments are made like a car loan or mortgage. Fall behind, and the organ (or organs) are repossed for sale to another, hence the name, "REPO". Because of the extent of surgeries carried out, abuse of prescription pain killers is also at pandemic levels, and a "street drug" version called Zydrate is extracted from the bodies of the dead. The epidemic of Zydrate abuse is so bad that grave robbers are executed on site at cemetaries. Essentially, society edges brutally close to the apocolyptic breakdown of "the end of the age."

The musical scores and singing/acting performances are nothing short of truly amazing and I really have to say I'm a convert with this film. I really was not expecting anything near the stellar output I saw. Quite frankly, I was expecting a film with Paris Hilton to be about as stimulating as a mud fence. I was very much surprised! She gave a much better performace than I would have imagined, and came away owning the part of the corporate kingpin's daughter - Amber Sweet. The two bickering brothers, Luigi, and Pavi, played respectively by Bill Mosely, and Nivek Ogre bring a unique "familial" side to the Largo family. And the name "Largo" itself, conjours up images of the old, eye patch wearing villain, Emilio Largo from Ian Fleming's "Thunderball". Paul Sorvino does an excellent job of portraying the coporate patriarch, so good, in fact, that cheers were heard, when his character finally "coughs up" near the end of the film.

Alexa Vega (spy kids) delivers such a fantastic performance, I had to wonder where she's been hiding all that talent! I was very much impressed with the intensity that Anthony Stewart Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) gave, he projected a vast amount of on screen horsepower. Sarah Brightman's (Phantom of the Opera) command of the character "Blind Mag" was at the top of her game, and she really pulled no punches with it - I knew she could sing, but I didn't know she could belt it out like that and act with such a dramatic flair. Terrance Zdunich was the one that really caught me, he was giving out bolts of energy like a Van De Graaf generator on steroids. Not only is he a talented composer and writer, but has pipes to match! Zdunich seemed to really RELISH the role, and projected such ease, that I wondered at one point if he really DID hang around cemetaries.

The whole film has a BDSM fetish vein running through it, what with all that leather, latex, restraints, and such. The settings, in a neo-noire world project an urban "filth" that for some reason, doesn't sully the characters. I also noticed a surprising number of antique furnishings for something that is supposed to take place 75 years from now, but then again, that's what added to the surrealistic, "fetish" look to the picture.

The characters all have an amazing amount of energy, and seem to "ping pong" off of one another at precise intervals and even manage to get things like facial expressions timed correctly.

The film is directed by Darren Lynn Bouseman of "Saw" fame. I must commend Mr. Bouseman as I was expecting "more of the same" and instead got something totally different and exhilirating. Bouseman has done a masterful job of bringing this thing to life, and breathing inspiration into its lungs. His touch is both forceful and artistic. A project like this needs a certain amunt of muscle to pull it off, yet one can't be overbearing. Bouseman has that kind of magic in his fingertips. The comic book style interludes help explain much of the complex interaction of the characters without going into boring explanations, or getting too campy. A very good touch that helps the storyline flow and manages to keep attention riveted where it needs to be.

The blood, guts, and gore are present, for sure. They have to be in a film as this. Yet they are not there simply for the reason of being there...they are there to build foundation and lend a certain theatrical credibility to the plotline. A doting dad one minute, sadistic physician the next..The bar coding on the repo'd organs was an excellent touch, especially for someone like me who dwells on minutiae. The weapory is an interesting mix of 21st century exotica, and current armory which makes it more palatable.

REPO - The Genetic Opera, is one of those films that comes along every so often that has you thinking about it LONG after you've left the theatre. It's so good, in fact, that I'm contemplating seeing it again. Bravo!