THE SATYA: A MAN APART (2003) FILM REVIEW

Monday, 2 May 2011

A MAN APART (2003) FILM REVIEW

Storyline

Sean Vetter and Demetrius Hicks are members of the DEA who are fighting an ongoing drug war on the California/Mexico border, they are most successful at it because of their edge of growing up on the street and being thugs converted to cops. The DEA busts one of the major players by the name of "Memo" Lucero and imprison him in the United States but then a major player named Diablo then takes over the business and now he is now the major player targeted by Vetter and his team. But when Vetter's wife is killed in a botched hit organized by Diablo, he seeks revenge against those responsible and in the process has to seek help from the imprisoned Lucero in order to catch Diablo. But in the process, Vetter and Hicks have to fight their way up the chain to get to Diablo but it's easier said than done when all Vetter can focus on is revenge.

Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Review

Diesel deserves credit where credit is due

As a heap of dead bodies and a sea of crimson blood are strewn about a San Pedro harbor berth, DEA agent Sean Vetter (Vin Diesel) takes the time to clean the most important thing to him in the world- his dead wife's wedding ring. It's subtle moments like that which made "A Man Apart" an impressive movie to me. The revenge plot is one of the most recycled in movies, however, director F. Gary Gray creates a story with lots of heart, and tons of action. He also does something that I thought couldn't be done in an eternity: he makes Vin Diesel seem like a credible actor. The movie's plot is simple: Vetter goes down to Mexico and busts a huge drug-lord, only to find out that a new cartel, whose leader's name is "Diablo" exacts revenge on him, only to kill his wife in the process. Vetter slowly deteriorates as the anguish of losing his wife, his first and only love, drives him to the breaking point. After going over the edge and being taken off of the DEA force, Vetter befriends the drug-lord he put away for life, and tries to take down the new cartel apart from everyone, only to find out he's being set up by the drug-lord. Solid characters, such as drug lord Memo Lucero (played by Geno Silva) ruthless yet hip drug dealer "Hollywood Jack" (Timothy Olyphant), and childhood companion and DEA partner Demetrius Hicks (Larenz Tate), complement Diesel's character Vetter tremendously.