Hummingbird / Redemption (2013)

Run an imdb search on Hummingbird and you will not find the movie that I will be writing about over this page.  Apparently the movie was released earlier under the name – Redemption.  It will be well worth it to find out what prompted the change.  Unfortunately I could not find the bandwidth over the past few days to research this interesting bit of trivia.

Having said that, Hummingbird or Redemption or whatever you choose to call it casts Jason Statham in a role that he would not be most unfamiliar with.  Joey (Statham) has returned from Afghanistan where he served in the military for a while.  In a strike on his vehicle, he is the only one who survives.  He loses 6 of his colleagues.  He gets his “revenge”, but leaves the army to find himself barely surviving on the streets back home.

 

He finds solace at the local charity, run by a Polish nun, Cristina (Agata Buzek).  After the death of his friend Isabel (Victoria Bewick), he escapes to get into an upper class apartment of a stock broker who is out of town till October.  He uses the place as a pad to recover before finding himself a job as a collector for local Chinese gangster Mr. Choy (Benedict Wong).

 

A lot of the money that he makes is diverted towards the charity run by Cristina.  Over the next hour and a half, the story builds as a relationship between Joey and Cristina.  Joey keeps doing odd things to keep Cristina happy.  Things that aren’t what you would do for a nun – and I will leave the rest to your imagination.

 

Director Steven Knight treats this topic that is extremely sensitive with a lot of class.  There are no overtly sexual scenes that may be in bad taste.  There is a lot of focus on the relationship between Joey and Cristina with just enough said about Joey’s past.  Cristina’s past is covered over a 5 minute conversation but gives you a solid idea of the perspectives of both characters.

 

In short, good screenplay and dialogues which keep your interest alive in the movie.  It may, however be perceived by some to be slow.  Simply because Statham’s previous movies have probably had action a minute scripts.  This one however shuttles between dialogues and necessary action.  Don’t expect a roller coaster ride like the Transporter series.  This is quality cinema.  Worth a watch.  7 on 10.

 

Watch the trailer on http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3817383449/?ref_=tt_ov_vi