There is always a challenge in being a writer, director and actor for a film. B.J.Novak, manages to pull off all three well in his first effort. Vengeance, as the name implies, turns on payback for an untimely death and the family that wants someone to answer for it. Novak’s messages ring true, and he has created a dynamic group of characters who amble interestingly through his sometimes-twisty story of murder and revenge, personal realizations, and relationships.
Set mainly in Texas, Vengeance has Novak playing Ben Manalowitz, a Brooklyn careerist. podcaster, and virulent male who openly talks about the disposability of women with his buddy John Mayer, at a party. These guys are hard-pressed to remember the names of their most recent hook-ups, so when a stranger calls out of the blue pleading with Ben to attend the funeral of his girlfriend, Ben is shocked. He has no idea who his supposed girlfriend Abby (short for Abilene) is but still agrees to attend the funeral. Once in West Texas, Ben meets Abby’s quirky, wildly Texan family and learns that her brother, Ty (Boyd Holbrook), wants to find the man responsible for his sister’s overdose.
Novak’s clever script stops short of making caricatures of his characters. At first, I groaned when heard Ty’s over-emphasized Texas twang, but then I realized that Novak is extremely respectful, although occasionally exaggerated, in his representation of Texans. While they never really say exactly, the setting is Lubbock or near about. Texas Tech is mentioned, and Marfa guns, music, and drinking are part of the culture. Often the comedy is dark, and the script is crafty, providing some interesting twists and witty dialogue. I did figure out who done it, but only because I am a mystery-solving wiz.
Ben’s desire to create the next-great-American story podcast plays out brilliantly, but Abby’s family and their plight chisels away at his narcissistic demeanor and changes him forever. The story becomes secondary to the desire to see justice done. While there are messy moments, the cast is strong, the story engaging (albeit simplistic), and the ending strangely satisfying. I am placing 3 stars up top for Vengeance.