Doce Vingança

Haven't seen Sweet Revenge since the early 80s. I remember finding it very entertaining, and was really drawn into the two lead characters: The thief and the investigator. Perhaps the premise is thin, all the effort just for a car, but surely many people have obsessions with cars. I know people who seem to love their car more than their spouse.

Stockard Channing was amazing, as was Sam Waterston. I'd love to see it again.

Sadly this movie is not available on VHS/DVD nor on cable. Any interest in reviving it for a discount renter have probably gotten thwarted by the fact there are 6 other movies by this exact name listed on IMDb, so just knowing which Sweet Revenge one is talking about is tough. The 1984 movie of the same name plays on cable all the time, but never this 1977 title. Like other movies from the slightly pre-VCR-boom era that I'd like to see again, including 'A Man, a Woman, and a Bank' and 'The Manitou' (which was bad/silly but worth a rewatch), it may not pass this way again.

If you should actually come across it, it's worth checking out. (And then let me know where the heck you found it!)

Some film critics labeled this film a bomb. I feel, however, the only thing exploding with such rash comments are their lack of true experience in and with the real, down and dirty, world.

Upon exiting the theater to find their cars stolen, do these critics even wonder about the innate nature of the person who has absconded with their vehicles.

Stockard Channing enters the role and world of a dedicated car thief with such deft character acting, that many of the true criminal element were (reportedly) able to bond with her. And for that reason alone, the viewer has to watch this film with their focus solely limited to the character being depicted. Disregard everything else in the film with the notable exception of her motive, methods and single minded determination to achieve one single soul driving goal.

Listening to Channing spew out the dialect of the seasoned criminal with such convincing force and believability, one might easily suspect she had at one time actually been such a person who lived in such an environment. Most definitely, one would never guess she had attended the socially acclaimed Radcliff College. If character acting is what acting is all about, then Ms. Channing is one hell of an actress.

This highly underrated cinematic character study is well worth the renting for the true film buff.

A young woman with a long rap sheet who steals cars for a living is befriended by a public defender who tries to steer her straight. But her goal is to steal and subsequently sell enough cars (sometimes the same car more than once) to buy a new Ferrari.

Just like everyone else, I had never heard of this film until it was shown on Turner Classic Movies. And I can understand why it faded away. There is little that stands out about it, and the two stars are not anywhere near A-list (with all due respect). So it makes sense that this would be buried.

But it is not a bad movie by any means, and a fun film. Since it was apparently made by MGM, I would suspect the rights to distribute it are fairly cheap right now (2017) and it might be the kind of title that a specialty Blu-ray label would pick up.

Well, Lenny Maltin thought it was a bomb so you know it's at least worth a look. Nice Tacoma in bleak, rainy winter cinematography from Vilmos Zsigmund, and Stockard Channing gives a very good, take no prisoners type performance as a feckless, teenage car thief (that is, if you can somehow suspend your doubt that this actor looks anything less than thirty). Problem is that Channing is so in your face unattractive and off putting that I stopped liking Vurria (could the screenwriters have come up with a dumber name?) about fifteen minutes in and stopped caring about her shortly thereafter. And once that happens then it's not long before interest starts to fade and you just impatiently wait for the all too predictable, hopeless denouement. It's kind of how I felt with this director's previous foray into 70s, American loser-dom, "Scarecrow". Give it a generous C plus for Vilmos and Stockard.

Vurrla Kowsky (Stockard Channing) has an eye for a new Ferrari Dino. She's a car thief and gets pulled over. Her public defender Philip Le Clerq (Sam Waterston) assumes that she's a victim of circumstances and tries to reform her. In reality, she gave a false identity and constantly lies to him. She has many aliases and is an unrepentant thief. Philip follows her back to her rundown boarded up place. Only her car radio stealing best friend Edmund knows her real name. Sweet Revenge is her car's name. Philip tries to help her despite continuously being lied to.

This little-seen Stockard Channing indie is a nice showcase for her. The film works best when she's paired with Waterston. It really should be a film about the two of them. The film stagnates without them together even when she does some crazy stuff. Their back and forth injects a fun chemistry into the movie.