Film Review: RED (2008)

The novels of writer Jack Ketchum have thus far been given justice The Lost, The Girl Next Door, Offspring, and now Red, which is by far the best of the lot. Although the film has had a troubled past (with original director Lucky McKee being replaced by Trygve A. Diessen), the end result has not been affected. Red is a captivating and engaging film from beginning to end due in no small part by the commanding performance of star Brian Cox.

Cox is Avery Ludlow, a general store owner who likes to spend his days fishing with his trusted companion Red, which is the last remnant of his dear departed wife. On one seemingly uneventful day Ludlow is enjoying a good day of fishing with Red when three teens come upon them. The teens intend to rob Ludlow but he has no money on him and they in turn shoot and kill Red out of spite. Ludlow goes to the authorities but there is little justice to be had when an animal is killed no matter how beloved the animal is. Ludlow then sets upon getting justice from the parents of the teens but the parents are oblivious of their children’s activities and Ludlow soon realizes that because one of the teens is the son of a wealthy business that money can buy anything. Ludlow then goes to desperate measures in order to get justice for the death of Red which will lead to actions that he won’t soon be able to take back.

Unlike the previous films adapted from Ketchum’s work this film is not violent as all the violence is off screen or in the shadows. Instead, this film plays upon the emotional violence inflicted on Ludlow and how that violence can make a peaceful man into a violent one.

Red is an excellent example of how an actor can drive a film despite everything else that may happen with the film. After McKee was let go so too was Angela Bettis and Diessen does bring with it the cache of McKee but despite this the film is headlined by Cox but has genre favorites Tom Sizemore, Asley Laurence, Robert England, and Amanda Plummer among its amazing cast. This is one of those films that if you’re a pet owner that once you see the film you won’t soon forget it.