Review: Everly

Salma Hayek plays the title prostitute, who is targeted for death by yakuza boss Taiko (Hiroyuki Watanabe), who sends some people to rape and kill her for reasons we only gradually work out (Part of it is that Everly was kidnapped by Taiko four years ago and has recently escaped his clutches). It doesn’t end well for the would-be killers, as Everly is quite resilient and not too shabby in the art of killing. Stuck in her studio apartment as Taiko sends wave after wave of even more assailants (including at one point Jennifer Blanc from TV’s “Dark Angel”) looking to pick up the large bounty on her head, Everly tries to stay alive whilst also trying to arrange for her mother to get Everly’s estranged daughter out of harm’s way, as she suspects Taiko will go after them too. Akie Kotabe (born in Michigan, despite adopting a very convincing Japanese accent) plays the somewhat mild-mannered, seriously wounded man who was initially sent to kill Everly, but who didn’t have the stomach for the rape aspect, and probably not cut out for the killing either. Togo Igawa and Masashi Fujimoto play a couple of depraved assassins dubbed ‘The Sadist’ and ‘The Masochist’, respectfully.

 

I don’t know how this 2015 Joe Lynch (the OK “Wrong Turn II”, the pathetic “Knights of Badassdom”) action-drama managed to miss a theatrical release, it’s a lot better than many movies that get one. Scripted by first-timer Yale Hannon (a script co-ordinator for a bunch of TV shows including “Big Love” and “Parenthood”), it’s a harsh, violent film that will repulse some of you. I thought it was a lot of fun myself, even if it’s rather simplistic.

 

I know Salma Hayek works quite frequently with Robert Rodriguez, but this one reminded me a little more of Tarantino by way of Takashi Miike (“Audition”, “Ichi the Killer”). Togo Igawa easily steals the show as the creepy Sadist. If this were a Tarantino film, the role would be played by Michael Madsen, just to give you some idea. If you’ve ever wanted to see Salma Hayek in her own action vehicle, here’s your chance and she certainly doesn’t disappoint (BTW, you nearly didn’t get your chance, as Kate Hudson was the original choice. Whatever star alignment/happenstance/deity/miracle prevented that from happening, I duly and forever thank thee!). Sure, at 48 she’s probably a little too old now to make a real career out of this sort of thing (and she’s more of a scrappy, messy fighting-for-survival type in this anyway), but she’s still well-cast. At this stage, she’s still not the best English speaker, but she makes up for that here in passion and emotion, which is the main thing if you ask me. I think she has improved in leaps and bounds as an actress, and here she gives a good performance in a film that let’s face it, doesn’t necessarily require one.

 

This is a rare action film that takes place basically in one set, one room really, inviting comparisons to “Rio Bravo” or “The Raid”, but even more intimate than those films. I also liked that the film is occasionally a bit reluctant to let you in on the details. You’re thrown into the thick of it immediately, and I would never say it was confusing. It keeps you intrigued, though with everyone turning up and almost immediately getting shot, it felt like the all-star flop “Trigger Happy” (AKA “Mad Dog Time”) initially.

 

I liked this one, if one can use the word ‘like’ to describe this. It’s violent, nasty, and quite simple, sure. However, it’s also quite active, does its job rather well, and gives fans of this kind of thing what they want. Hayek is a good choice for the lead, and Togo Igawa is unforgettably nasty as a villain. It may not be everyone’s idea of fun, but I had a good time with this one. It has an old-school action vibe but with modern day splatter, and a side order of sadistic torture. It deserved a much better fate commercially than it received in my opinion, and hopefully gains a cult following over the years at the very least.

 

Rating: B-