Film Review: Nicolas Cage, Guy Pearce Find Boredom While They’re ‘Seeking Justice’

Rating: 1.5/5.0

CHICAGO – “Seeking Justice” must have been such a juicy proposition on paper. Director Roger Donaldson is coming off his most interesting film in years (“The Bank Job”), Nicolas Cage is overdue for a quality drama, Guy Pearce is one of our most interesting actors, and the supporting cast includes a number of interesting actors with recent TV hits – Jennifer Carpenter (“Dexter”), Harold Perrineau Jr. (“Lost”), and January Jones (“Mad Men”). The only thing you’ll be wondering during this inert alleged thriller is where it all went wrong.

The premise of “Seeking Justice” is actually a decent one for this increasingly dangerous world. A man’s wife is raped. Another man comes to him and tells him that he can give him the justice he seeks. He claims to be the leader of a group of vigilantes and he wants to help, asking only a future favor in exchange. It’s a classic Faustian conundrum for the favor is unclear and will almost certainly be at a greater cost than the man first considers. It’s a solid pitch for a thriller and the one that probably got “Seeking Justice” made. It’s where “Justice” goes from there and how incredibly boring the final script ended up that kills all of the potential for thrills in this dull affair.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Seeking Justice” in our reviews section. [13]

The man is Will Gerard (Nicholas Cage), the wife is named Laura (January Jones), and the vengeance specialist is a mysterious fellow named Simon (Guy Pearce). She’s brutally assaulted and, as she lies in her hospital bed, a deal for revenge is offered in the waiting room. How many men would take it? Your wife lies in pain after being raped and her attacker could get what he deserves while keeping your hands clean? All that’s asked is a favor somewhere down the road? In one of MANY flaws in Robert Tannen’s screenplay, we see the rapist being killed by another man who makes clear that he’s a former “client” of Simon. In other words, we now know that it’s only a matter of time before Will becomes the executor for someone else seeking justice.

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Seeking Justice” review. [14]

Seeking Justice
Photo credit: Anchor Bay