I quite liked the movie...but I did have issues about the way it was marketed.
It is clearly NOT a vigilante movie, it's about a guy who loses his job, is depressed over his broken marriage and simply reaches the end of his tether on a very hot day...and decides he has had enough and is going to 'go home'.
But of course...the marketing team went all out and deliberately made it look like a vigilante movie.
Even the way the trailer was put together, making it look like he deliberately shot up the burger bar, when in fact the gun went off by accident.
And on the original poster for the film, he was shown standing on the grafittied monument where he chased offf the two mexican gang members, holding a shotgun...when in fact in that scene he only used a baseball bat, which he took from the gang members.
He makes it clear he is not a vigilante, and even says so on a few occasions. He does not kill anyone, though he does harm a few. But the character reacts to being stopped or threatened in some way, rather than go looking for trouble.
I guess it works because it is a kind of wish-fulfilment movie - he does things that we would all secretly like to do in real life.
You are missing the point - I am not saying that it is wish-fulfilment on the part of the character, he is clearly thrust into a situation he does not want and is caught up in escalating events.
I meant that the wish-fulfilment is on the part of the audience - part of us identifies with what he is going through, and it becomes cathartic because there are times we wish (though we would never actually do it) we could actually carry out some of things he does.
It's an awesome film.I think we've all been there.Quietly simmering away,like a volcano waiting to blow.All the crap you have to put up with in every day life,but you can't really say or do anything about it.
