Romans

I watched this film while in Poland and was unexpectedly blown away. Orlando Bloom gives the performance of his career with another sterling supporting performance from Alex Ferns. At times this film is challenging to watch as the lead character is dealing with the repercussions of sexual abuse, however it is a subject matter that begs to be addressed and is dealt with exceptionally well.

"Be not carried away to revenge and retaliation (Romans, 12,V 19) by evil which is committed against you, but overcome the evil by the good which you show to your enemy (V20), put to shame by your noble spirit, ceases to act malignantly against you . . . ." Paul

Retaliation, starring a surprisingly competent Orlando Bloom as Malky, is about a demolition worker trying to demolish the memory of abuse by a priest when Malky was 12. The plot is simple, a thriller at the least, encouraging the audience to guess whether he will exorcise his demon or take Christ's advice (see above).

The film focuses almost exclusively on Malky, whose growing torture about the abuse bleeds out into everything he encounters, be it his Mum (Anne Reed), his best friend, Jo (Alex Ferns), or, most lamentably, girlfriend Emma (Janet Montgomery). His rage is palpable, and because he shares its reason with no one, it is quietly volcanic.

At times the metaphors (cross, stigmata, and glasses, just for starters) are heavy; yet Bloom so effectively carries their weight, they serve as effectively as could be expected without distracting. The text from Paul helps audiences to understand the victim's dilemma as well as answer how Malky can appease the vengeance.

Bloom is a revelation-abandoning for the moment his pretty boy roles-by turning in a memorable performance recently as an army captain in The Outpost, and in this role underplaying and overplaying grief and anger without relying on the charms that made him a global star.

For those who were brought up Catholic, stories of priestly abuse haunt even more when they are true. My attempted abuse by a priest when I was an undergraduate stays with me as I reconcile the disparity between piety and pederasty, its prevalence and its persistence. Retaliation will prevail as one of the best takes on religious perfidy.

Underrated gem.

Yes, it's dark subject matter but the message is bright.

PhenomEnal work by the cast! Orlando Bloom delivers a performance that should have been anything but swept under the rug. This one deserves your attention.

It was as if he had 'grown up' and become some whole other being. There is not one misstep in this film. Every aspect of victimhood, ptsd, self-harm, sexuality, denial, help, healing, recovery, friendship, love, hate, anger, debt, discovery is revealed in a natural, realistic manner. Orlando's work is incredible. The writing is incredible. And ultimately the true horror turns out not to have been where you thought it was at all, but somewhere even worse, even more cruel and complex.

An excellent movie about a very sad and disturbing subject. Orlando Bloom's performance was so well done I believed every look and sound of his character. There are so many people who are in need of help in this world. My hope is that this movie will help make a change, somewhere.