In this guilty-pleasure revenge thriller, Academy-Award winner Nicolas Cage plays Will Gerard, a dedicated English teacher to inner-city kids who is happily married to Laura, a beautiful and loving symphony musician played by January Jones (Mad Men). The premise is ridiculous and wince-worthy but hey, it’s brainless fun.
The protagonist’s life is thrown grotesquely out-of-whack when his wife Laura is brutally attacked one night. After she’s raped and beaten Will sits in the hospital, enraged, feeling helpless and vulnerable. Enter Guy Pearce as Simon who introduces himself as a secret agent in a take-matters-into-their-own-hands organization of irate citizens who fight crime and corruption in New Orleans by taking people out.
We all know nothing is free, and now Will is indebted to these whackos who whack people. Although it’s mostly predictable there are exciting scenes of suspense and action. One noteworthy and cool chase scene shows Cage narrowly escaping being smushed by a careening and out-of-control truck. The cast is strong. Even Jones seems more soulful than usual. Pearce plays deliciously evil and it’s fun to root for Cage coming out on top.
Seeking Justice is directed by Roger Donaldson, written by Todd Hickey and Robert Tannen and also stars Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) as Trudy and Harold Perrineau (Lost) as Jimmy.
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download on June 19, 2012. 105 minutes. Rated R.