What is the movie Payback about?
Porter (Mel Gibson) is a thief betrayed by both his wife, Lynn (Deborah Kara Unger), and his partner, Val (Gregg Henry), when he is shot in the back after a heist. Slowly, Porter recovers from his wounds and begins a search for Val, intent on recovering his share of the money they stole together. With the aid of prostitute Rosie (Maria Bello), Porter captures Val but still cannot find his cash. For this, Porter will have to challenge an imposing crime syndicate called the Outfit.
Payback/Film synopsis
Is Payback a noir film?
Payback is a 1999 American neo-noir action thriller film written and directed by Brian Helgeland in his directorial debut, and starring Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, and David Paymer.
What year does payback take place?
The story doesn’t take place in an identifiable year, or even decade, but it definitely isn’t the now of the film’s release in 1999. It isn’t necessarily the 70s, either, but it kinda smells that way. While the voice-over may be a hat-tip to the noir tradition, a lot of the language is pretty 70s.
Why is there two versions of the movie Payback?
It became clear that both studios actually wanted a movie more accessible to the mainstream audience, like the Lethal Weapon series of films. In its original version Payback didn’t have that mass appeal. Brian Helgeland got the chance to rethink his version and alter it so it would come closer to the studios’ wishes.
Who plays Fairfax in payback?
James Coburn
Payback (1999) – James Coburn as Justin Fairfax – IMDb.
Who needs enemy?
A humorous statement indicating that the behavior of one’s friend(s) has been harmful or malevolent, i.e. behavior one would associate with an enemy rather than a friend.
Is ‘Payback’ any good?
The premise is a familiar one within the revenge sub genre. This means the film has to rely on story, characters, and performances to stand out. The good thing for Payback is the script does enough of the basic things correctly.
‘Payback’ review: Straightforward mob movie Payback is a lot like any other Mafia movie. Mike Markovich (Matt Levett) is a stockbroker at a mob controlled bank. After being betrayed he takes the fall for a crime he did not commit and finds himself in prison for six years.
Is Payback a remake of point blank?
“Payback” is a bitch… of a movie… Wow…I cannot believe that not once in his review that Roger bothered to mention the minor fact that “Payback” was basically a remake of the 1967 classic “Point Blank” with Lee Marvin, based on the novel “The Hunter” by Donald E. Westlake.
Is Mel Gibson the key to the success of payback?
There is much cleverness and ingenuity in “Payback,” but Mel Gibson is the key. The movie wouldn’t work with an actor who was heavy on his feet, or was too sincere about the material.