Payback


Payback

Overview:

With friends like these, who needs enemies? That's the question bad guy Porter is left asking after his wife and partner steal his heist money and leave him for dead -- or so they think. Five months and an endless reservoir of bitterness later, Porter's partners and the crooked cops on his tail learn how bad payback can be.

Votes 548 (6.7/10)

Runtime: 100 minutes

Release Date 1999-02-05

Budget: $90,000,000.00

Revenue: $161,626,121.00

Tagline: No More Mr. Nice Guy.

Production company:

  • Paramount Pictures
  • Icon Entertainment International

Production country:

  • United States of America

Genres:

  • Drama
  • Action
  • Thriller
  • Crime

Trailer

Further Information

Porter
Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Bronson
Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Val Resnick
Gregg Henry
Gregg Henry
Rosie
Maria Bello
Maria Bello
Arthur Stegman
David Paymer
David Paymer
Det. Hicks
Bill Duke
Bill Duke
Mrs. Lynn Porter
Deborah Kara Unger
Deborah Kara Unger
Phil
John Glover
John Glover
Carter
William Devane
William Devane
Pearl
Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu
Det. Leary
Jack Conley
Jack Conley
Justin Fairfax
James Coburn
James Coburn
Johnny Bronson
Trevor St. John
Trevor St. John
Messenger
Freddy Rodríguez
Freddy Rodríguez
Producer
Bruce Davey
Bruce Davey
Casting
Marion Dougherty
Marion Dougherty
Screenplay
Brian Helgeland
Brian Helgeland
Director
Brian Helgeland
Brian Helgeland
Art Direction
Troy Sizemore
Troy Sizemore
Executive Producer
Stephen McEveety
Stephen McEveety
Production Design
Richard Hoover
Richard Hoover
Screenplay
Terry Hayes
Terry Hayes
Editor
Kevin Stitt
Kevin Stitt
Costume Design
Ha Nguyen
Ha Nguyen
Stunt Coordinator
Mic Rodgers
Mic Rodgers
Second Unit Cinematographer
Mic Rodgers
Mic Rodgers
Unit Production Manager
Jim Lemley
Jim Lemley
Original Music Composer
Chris Boardman
Chris Boardman
Orchestrator
Chris Boardman
Chris Boardman
Novel
Donald E. Westlake
Donald E. Westlake
Director of Photography
Ericson Core
Ericson Core
Set Decoration
Sandy Struth
Sandy Struth
Additional Photography
Daryn Okada
Daryn Okada
Production Accountant
Chris Silver Finigan
Chris Silver Finigan
Transportation Captain
Lee Stepp
Lee Stepp
Rigging Gaffer
Jordan Valenti
Jordan Valenti
Sound Editor
John K. Adams
John K. Adams
Makeup Artist
Mindy Hall
Mindy Hall
Set Costumer
Charlene Amateau
Charlene Amateau
Costume Supervisor
Kimberly Guenther Durkin
Kimberly Guenther Durkin
Gaffer
Bruce McCleery
Bruce McCleery
Set Designer
Gina B. Cranham
Gina B. Cranham
Still Photographer
Andrew Cooper
Andrew Cooper
Transportation Coordinator
Charley Bob Burnham
Charley Bob Burnham
Location Manager
Andrew L. Ullman
Andrew L. Ullman
Steadicam Operator
Mark O'Kane
Mark O'Kane
Construction Foreman
Ronald O. Jaynes
Ronald O. Jaynes
Foley
Dominique Decaudain
Dominique Decaudain
Hairstylist
Jennifer Bell
Jennifer Bell
Sound Recordist
Bill Meadows
Bill Meadows
Electrician
Chris Culliton
Chris Culliton
Script Supervisor
P.R. Tooke
P.R. Tooke
Dialogue Editor
Bobbi Banks
Bobbi Banks
Production Sound Mixer
Geoffrey Patterson
Geoffrey Patterson
Art Department Coordinator
Cece Destefano
Cece Destefano
Armorer
Harry Lu
Harry Lu
Rigging Grip
Joseph Graham
Joseph Graham
First Assistant Director
Mark Cotone
Mark Cotone
Casting Associate
Terrence Harris
Terrence Harris
Propmaker
Neil Gahm
Neil Gahm
Painter
Anthony Joseph Fatigato
Anthony Joseph Fatigato
Color Timer
Dennis McNeill
Dennis McNeill
Video Assist Operator
Kevin Boyd
Kevin Boyd
Security
Joseph Keideth
Joseph Keideth
Scoring Mixer
John Richards
John Richards
Set Production Assistant
Daniel Berkowitz
Daniel Berkowitz
Production Manager
Pamela Thur
Pamela Thur
Stunts
Raymond W. Beal
Raymond W. Beal
Special Effects Supervisor
Bob Stoker
Bob Stoker
Grip
Jim Shelton
Jim Shelton
Art Department Assistant
Joanna S. Frank
Joanna S. Frank
Construction Coordinator
Conrad Chitwood
Conrad Chitwood
Leadman
Chris Carriveau
Chris Carriveau
Standby Painter
John Mikels
John Mikels
First Assistant Camera
Michael D. Weldon
Michael D. Weldon
Set Dressing Artist
Jenny Baum
Jenny Baum
Craft Service
Ken Cabrera
Ken Cabrera
Driver
William P. Lafon
William P. Lafon
Loader
Lisa Bonaccorso
Lisa Bonaccorso
Property Master
Barry Franenberg
Barry Franenberg
Scenic Artist
Ayenne J. Applebaum
Ayenne J. Applebaum
Set Medic
Ross L. Kulma
Ross L. Kulma
Unit Publicist
Stephanie Pond-Smith
Stephanie Pond-Smith
Utility Stunts
James Ryan
James Ryan
First Assistant Editor
Marianne Urioste
Marianne Urioste
Best Boy Electric
Shawn E. Helgedalen
Shawn E. Helgedalen
Production Coordinator
Jonas Cukierman
Jonas Cukierman
Boom Operator
Mark Steinbeck
Mark Steinbeck
First Assistant Sound Editor
Cindy Jo Hinkleman
Cindy Jo Hinkleman

John Chard

Indestructible Gibson in grim and gritty telling of The Hunter. This is not an out and out remake of John Boorman's 1967 offering Point Blank, the structure is different from the 67 film, and where Point Blank is a dark psychological thriller that is rightly regarded as being towards the top of the neo-noir tree, this Brian Helgeland directed film really should be seen as a different interpretation of Donald E. Westlake's novel The Hunter. Mel Gibson plays tough as nails thief Porter, who is double crossed, shot, and then left for dead by his wife Lynn (Deborah Kara Unger) and his partner in crime Val Resnick (Gregg Henry). We are then taken on a dark journey as Porter sets out to reclaim the $70.000 that he was shot and almost killed for. He wants no more, no less than what he is owed, and he literally will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Including taking on the Chicago mob organisation known as The Outfit. Payback is a mean and violent movie, it is unrelenting in its willingness to keep nastiness at the top of the story. The film is full of flawed and vile people, even Porter himself, the closest we have to a (anti) hero has badness coursing through his veins, he is a dislikable killer, the film is about exactly what the tag-line suggests, Get Ready To Root For The Bad Guy! As Porter trawls through this part of Chicago, he will come across bent coppers, drug pushers/addicts/runners, Asian gangsters, prostitutes, violence fetishists and the slimy chain of command of the Chicago mob. Nobody here is about to cheer you up. The style of the film owes its being to classic film noir and the 1970s hard crime movies led by Dirty Harry and Death Wish. The makers had originally wanted to film it in black and white, but instead went for a de-saturation technique, a bleach by-pass process that really puts a grim grey and blue sheen on the visuals. The thumping score is tonally correct, while a good sound track also helps (always nice to see hear Voodoo Chile), and the use of voice over narration by Porter evokes the classic noir period and works a treat because it's not over done. The film strongly relies on Mel Gibson to bring menace and a measure of sympathy to the vengeful Porter, and it is with much credit that he manages to achieve both these things skilfully. He is backed by a strong support cast, Maria Bello admirable in her big shift from TV to film - Lucy Liu hilarious and stunningly sexy as a dominatrix and Gregg Henry is just wild. The Outfit chain of command features William Devane, James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson, all slick and welcome additions, even if they are all under used; though this is more by narrative necessity than film making decisions. Bill Duke, David Paymer and Jack Conley fill out the impressive roll call of scum-bags. Violent, laconic and darkly comic as well, Payback is one of the best remakes around, a neo-noir essential in fact. 8.5/10 Footnote: Director Helgeland released his own Directors Cut in 2006. Unhappy with the original version, he changed some of the structure and visual style and made it shorter by ten minutes. It's inferior to the 100 minute original cut in my opinion, losing much of the noir stylisations, but the last quarter is different and will (does) certainly appeal to others.

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