Il mio nome è vendetta

The creators of this film took every cliche' of the "revenge" genre, mixed everything in a blender and pieced them together at random.

The daughter was made to look and act like Natalie Portman in "Leon", minus the acting skills.

Completely unoriginal and uninspiring dialogs, one dimensional characters, ultra predictable storyline.

It's a pity, because Alessandro Gassmann is a great actor with a lifelong acting experience, but in this film he could have been replaced by any mediocre actor and the result would have been the same.

The only positive I could find, was the stunning shooting location in the mountains of SouthTyrol, the German speaking province in the north of Italy.

As "My Name Is Vendetta" (2022 release from Italy; 90 min) opens, we are introduced.to the Romeo family, with almost 18 yo Sofia being a little brad who, contrary to her dad's wishes, takes his picture during an camping outing. And next thing we know, that picture is hacked by a Mafia family who has been looking for him... At this point we are 10 min into the movie.

Couple of comments: I can't say that I was familiar with either the director or any of the cast. Turns out this is a straight-forward Italian "Death Wish" reminding crime drama where the bottom line is" 'kill or be killed (literally). In case you didn't pick it up from the movie's title, the dad turns out to be, oh the SHOCK, a one-man killing army, helped by his almost 18 yo daughter. This movie is about as sophisticated as a bull in a china shop, if you know what I mean. All that said, the movie wastes little time and this hour and a half just flew by.

"My Name Is Vendetta" was suggested to me by Netflix and based on that I gave it a shot. This isn't a bad movie, just straight-forward without any surprises whatsoever. If you are in the mood for an Italian revenge crime drama, I'd readily suggest you check it out, and draw your own conclusion.

This movie borders on the edge of fantasy. The story is based around settling of vendettas using surveillance techniques that are so far-fetched. The characters are not that interesting, and the daughter borders on being the most annoying movie character ever devised. Everything she is told not to do, she does, and it doesn't help that she is dressed to look like some character from a bygone era. She faces no consequences for her dumb actions, and puts the blame for the action that is the basis of the story, on her father, never mind that she is the person who puts his picture on the internet after she is warned not to do so. The story is weak and borders on fantasy. In short, it's just a silly movie!

This is a decent foreign thriller about a defected Mafia hitman who resurfaces due to a happenstance of his attempt to lead an anonymous new life. When the Mob discovers he is alive they come after him, and his family, seeking to kill them. Of course it is not that simple. He is not an easy man to kill. Accompanied by his surviving daughter he seeks to finish what he started years earlier. There is a slight similarity in this film, to The Professional, with Jean Renault and Natalie Portman; however, this one is not as good. There is decent action. The cast is decent enough and the cinematography is good. Decent enough, but not the best.

Although this is not a great film, it's nonetheless, watchable. It's fast-paced with a few heartfelt dramatic moments. The truth is, the plot is straightforward so the viewer should not expect any surprises except perhaps the ending.

There have been revenge films made before. But what could set this apart is that it's a father-and-teenaged daughter affair. It starts in a idyllic setting somewhere in Bolzano (mention is made of Merano which is near the German border). The viewer should find the scenes here quite picturesque. Then, it shifts to an urban setting.

The fight scenes are realistic if not gory; nothing is exaggerated. Santo/Domenico is a mean killing machine who believes that the law is kill or be killed. The action sequences are well-executed.

Alessandro Gassman and Ginebra Francesconi are a good pair. They portray convincingly their roles as doting father and loving daughter, whose teenaged life is abbreviated by ugly circumstances. Gassman fits the role of a punisher. In fact, the vibes of the film is reminiscent of Jon Bernthal's "The Punisher."

If you have time to spare, watch this one.