Revenge isn’t a dish that’s best served cold for Santo (Alessandro Gassman), a former mafia member who’s steered clear of a life of crime for decades and hides in a small town in northern Italy under the identity of a loving husband and father. But when his teenage daughter Sofia (Ginevra Francesconi) posts a photo of herself on social media, that’s all it takes for former enemies to track him down, kill his wife and fatally pursue him. Italian action film My Name is Revenge directed and written by Cosimo Gomez offers approximately one hour and forty minutes of an intriguing plot full of battles, deaths and car races. That is, the way action lovers love it.
Watching his lover fall to the ground in their ruined home and being beaten, Santo knows the life he left behind has returned to recruit him. But now the stakes are higher, he has a daughter and he needs to train her not only to face the risks that are approaching but also to fight back. He is determined to prepare Sofia so that together they can take revenge on the men who killed his wife. While the film offers exhilarating action scenes, it also gains melodrama flavors in the scenes that show the deep friendship and loyalty between father and daughter.
If Santo is sort of John Wick, ruthless and bloodthirsty, Sofia is Mathilda from The Professional, more mature, thickskinned and coldblooded, despite her sweet aura. But this time, this Mathilda is ready to get her hands dirty and not only witness the bloody murders, but commit them. Sofia doesn’t develop her stamina and bravery skills out of thin air. From the very first scenes, where she fights during a high school hockey game, we can see the genetic material of pure anger running through her veins. Sofia is a feminine and graceful version of her father. Graceful but not fragile.
The film enters the IMDb unfair list with only 5.3 ratings, but the truth is that it has good moments of entertainment, a lot of chemistry between the protagonists who share the screen, Alessandro Gassman and Ginevra Fracesconi, and good performances delivers within the capabilities of its characters, who are not very well developed in depth. But the viewer still has a chance to learn more about Santo and Sofia as the ending left a hook for a possible sequel.
Movie: my name is revenge
Direction: cosimo gomez
Year: 2022
Genre: action
A notice: 8/10