Reason #1 is that I love Jason Statham as an actor. I like to hear his gravelly voice and I particularly like to see him kick the crapola out of people.
Reason #2 takes more explanation. I actually saw this movie being discussed on IMDB, one of the best sites for movie lovers. There's a link to the right. It was supposed to come out at the theaters a couple of weeks ago, or so I thought. Sometimes a company will just release a movie straight to DVD for whatever reason. This is a terrific movie but I think it may have alienated a group of people and was not sent to cinemas.
The place is modern day London and Joey Jones (Statham) has recently returned from the Afghan War. He is a wreck. He lives on the streets, sleeps in a box, is an alcoholic and a drug addict and has severe post traumatic stress syndrome. He stinks, has bad clothing and unkempt ....everything. Another unfortunate, a young woman, shares his cardboard box at night. At least until street toughs attack them. As Joey flees he escapes but falls through a skylight and into the first bit of luck he's had in years.
He lands in a nice apartment. The phone recording reveals that the wealthy owner won't return for weeks. Joey helps himself to the shower, then a nice suit of clothes. After a shave and a haircut he feels a new man and sets about turning his smashed life around.
Always a good-hearted dude, he remembers his friends and orders pizzas for the guys in the soup line of Sister Christina, who is probably his best friend... after his box-mate is killed. The relationship between Joey and Sister Christina actually makes the movie great, putting all the great action sequences in the backseat.
I am a sucker for a tale that features a man's efforts to turn his life around.Having been on the streets before, with the hunger, fear and unpleasantness that goes with poverty, I ofttimes quit watching a show like this. I can find them depressing, at times. This one was touching, exciting and satisfying.
Joey starts to work for a Chinese fellow who has his hands in a lot of pies. Joey is his enforcer. As such, Joey has ample opportunity to find the men responsible for the death of the girl who lived in his cardboard box. Redemption is the title, quite rightly, but it should have been Redemption and Revenge. Joey is all about tasting that delicious dish.
I think that the religious aspects might have kept this show on DVD. Maybe people didn't like the Nun's role. Maybe it came out at the theaters and I missed it. I rate it as 5 stars out of 5.
This show is violent, cruel and harsh. Entertaining, inspiring and touching. I would almost bet that it comes partially from true happenings but I certainly don't know. Funny how the most wonderful, selfless and dedicated people would love to have one evening's pleasure in nice clothes and a taste of the arts. May God bless people like that. Good evening.
I'm CE Wills.
P.S. Agata Buzek is exceptional as Sister Christina.
P.P.S. The original title of this was, I believe, The Hummingbird.
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