Seeking Justice

Seeking Justice was formerly titled The Hungry Rabbit Jumps and has seasoned action director Roger Donaldson at the helm and one of the producers is Tobey Maguire. Having Nicolas Cage as the main actor puts the movie at a disadvantage because with Cage you always know he will play Cage. For one, Cage plays an English teacher in New Orleans who is approached by a mysterious man named Simon who offers to deal with the perpetrator who raped his wife in return for a “favor” to be asked of him later.

We are introduced to the happy couple celebrating their anniversary during Mardi Gras (because it's New Orleans and doesn't everything happen there?). Laura (January Jones) and Will (Cage) are a happy well adjusted couple. When tragedy hits, Simon (Guy Pearce looking incredibly menacing with a tight crew cut) tells Will at the hospital that he represents a few citizens seeking justice. They know who the rapist is and will take care of the problem for him in exchange he will be asked to do a task in the future. Distraught and grief stricken Will readily agrees and they soon receive news that the rapist has committed suicide. Six months later the organization calls Will for the favor.

The film colored in a dark palette that for some reason most movies in New Orleans are hued as if the city is perpetually overcast and spooky even in full sunlight. At first the task given to Will seems innocuous but strange. Then they ask for even more which includes causing an an accident to look like a suicide. Once he calls it in with the message “the hungry rabbit jumps” then his favor is paid. Only Will is not very cooperative. He wants nothing to do with getting this supposed child pornographer. As with all these revenge gone wrong scenarios it becomes evident everything is not what it seems. When Will tries to talk to the target guy a fight ensues and soon Will is being charged with murder. Simon and crew are soon after Will when he finds out the man was not who they said he was supposed to be (duh). Meanwhile Laura who could have been just another pretty wife object shows some moxie when confronted by the bad guys who come after her.

This movie forces you to accept the paranoid premise and asks you not to think that asking regular normal people to do their dirty work would seem ineffective and clumsy rather than trying to do it themselves. The script by Robert Tannen offers nothing new for this genre. Rather the movie seems to rely on the presence and box office appeal of Nicholas Cage in the drivers seat. While Cage offers his best and usual performance it's still hard to imagine that he's just an inner city high school teacher. Between the car and foot chases he reacts in action star style rather than bumbling normal guy. The movie may not sell a lot of tickets in the theaters but will make a good rental.
(Review by reesa)