Ángel de venganza

This film tells the story of a grieving woman who lost her son because of a shooting on the street. She attends a mothers' support group, where she finds support from another woman who lost her daughter.

"Lila & Eve" is quite a good thriller! Viola Davis is very good as a grieving mother. She makes her character very sympathetic and really connects with the viewers. Her grief is deep and hurting badly, but not overdone. Then a twist comes; I thought a twist would be coming as there are clues shattered around the film, but I thought it was something else. The ending is great and offers closure in a subtle manner. I enjoyed watching this thriller.

"Maybe we could help each other." Lila (Davis) is a loving mother who has just lost her son in a drive by shooting. She is frustrated at the lack of evidence as to who and why and is getting upset at the police who do not seem to be doing all they should. She joins a grieving mothers support group and meets Eve (Lopez) who has also lost a child. When she tells Lila they should track down the killer themselves things become violent, and Lila and Eve do all they can to avenge their lost children. This is a movie that started out with so much promise but began to become repetitive and lose its edge the longer it went on. The movie is still very good and worth seeing but the movie Death Sentence with Kevin Bacon was very similar, and I though much better. The biggest fault I have with this movie is that it was geared toward the Lifetime movie crowd but added enough to make it an R rating. The movie never really makes it out of the Lifetime feel and to me that hurt it. Overall, not a bad movie and worth seeing, but essentially a hard edge Lifetime movie that doesn't really appeal to everyone like it should. I give this a B.

The morality of revenge has been used as theme in many occasions, Kevin Bacon and Jodie Foster have made similar works before. While it doesn't necessarily innovate crime genre, Lila & Eve works by displaying the intimate issue with strong performance. It's a story about two mothers seeking justice, yet ultimately absorbed by the vengeance in an attempt to cope with the overwhelming sadness.

Viola Davis as Lila is easily the best asset of the movie. She's completely believable as the grieving mother, often seen hurt and confused in highly sympathetic manner. She can draw audience interest and even suspense judgment as she dabbles in less savory acts. Since the movie almost entirely revolves around her trial, it's a boon to have a reliable lead.

Jennifer Lopez has a mixed record in acting. There are a couple of good movies when she delivered, but most of the material she worked were mismatches. The most advantage she has is she can appear to be not glamorous, as in Parker and The Boy Next Door. With Viola Davis, the chemistry is definitely present, she appears to be an integral part of Lila's story than just a guest star.

The movie is not without flaws though. It's hampered with a few crude developments. They can be a bit problematic, although not entirely jumping towards one-man-army action theme or overly bloody violence. Furthermore, the plot twist it tries to pull is predictable and it could've been more refined or subtle in its delivery.

Unfortunately, many elements of the movie are notoriously cliché. The vigilante thriller and the chasing cop aspect feel much too familiar. However, Lila & Eve has enough private sentiment to be emotionally engaging even though the cause might not be just.

Viola Davis delivers a strong performance in this roller coaster story of a single parent raising two sons, when one is inexplicably shot dead. Despite crippling grief she brings herself to pressure the detective assigned to the case, but to little avail. She then uses the few facts she has to find out on her own how and why this happened. Although almost driven mad with grief, she nevertheless exhibits considerable rationality, and courage, as she has to navigate in a world of street gangs and thugs. She meets Eve (Lopez) at a support group, who turns out to be a terrific ally in this foolhardy exploit. As a duo, these women are unstoppable. Viola shows remarkable range in this convincing portrait of a woman scorned and a mother who lost a good son to random violence. Jennifer delivers one of her best performances as her partner in a quest for justice. Also commendable is Shea Whigham as the not-so-clueless detective, who keeps tabs on these women and their possibly illegal exploits. This film has plenty of heart, suspense, and ultimately, wisdom.

While this film won't win an Academy Award or any other glamorous award for that matter, it is a good film. The cast, for the most part, is what makes it as good as it is. The emotion and drama that's displayed by Viola Davis' character is flawless. Viola Davis, as usual, gives a wonderful performance in this film along side Jennifer Lopez. Although Jennifer Lopez's performance isn't as high caliber as Viola Davis' they both made a great pair in this film. Not anything different or original, this film is about two women who seek out and take revenge on the men who murdered their sons, it's that simple, or is it. Fairly written with some drama and a nice plot twist this film is enough to be enjoyed.