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Sweet Karma (2009)

Dir: Andrew Thomas Hunt

A mute Russian girl named Karma (Shera Bechard) takes vengeance on the East European gang who trafficked her sister into Canada, after she vanishes.....

 

The above synopsis may seem overly lean, but that's because this is modern day film making paying astute homage to such simple, straightforward, no messing movies of the 70's/80's.
And unlike getting it all wrong band-wagon jumping rubbish like "Run Bitch, Run" this actually feels, plays and looks like one of those films.

Andrew Thomas Hunt provides punchy, carefully crafted, well paced direction and the screenplay/story (by Hunt with James Fler and Michael Pazst) is just as astute and well paced in the way it moves the story along by using Karma's stupendously violent, nasty and kick-ass, revenge scenes as stepping stones.
It's a screenplay that provides all the goodies you expect from such a set-up, in spades, but still has time to flesh out the main characters and provide a few twists and turns along its dark, nasty, gritty path.

The film, as indeed all such lone vigilante films from the dawn of cinematic time, ultimately hangs on the performance of its lead protagonist.
Thankfully newcomer Shera Bechard is more than up to the task of carrying the film on her slender shoulders.
Not sure why Karma had to be mute, although it adds (even though it's not a disabling ailment) an extra vulnerability to her, so what Bechard's line delivery is like I could not say.
But I can comment on her physical and facial performance and from the dramatic scenes to the scenes of her using her sexual allure (and it's one hell of a lure) to get to the bad guys to her handling of the action scenes she is brilliant.
Despite her fighting skills (no explanation given) Karma remains a grounded and venerable character and although utterly ruthless in her killing, she never revels in it. She, crucially, never loses track of her own morality.
As such her fighting/carnage is 'cool' but she remains very grounded and realistic.
And when I say carnage, I mean carnage!
Forget her gender, although this is an issue in the film and she does use her sexuality to her advantage, Karma takes down scumbags as brutally and remorselessly as any male vigilante you have ever seen.
The plot certainly places the popular Liam Neeson vehicle "Taken" in the viewers mind and believe me Bechard could give Neeson a run for his money any day.
And its certainly a worthy bedfellow to the classic "Thriller: A Cruel Picture" as tough-ass female vigilante movies go.

In fact every actor in the film is at least good, with most being very good to excellent.
Unlike too many a low budget Indy films we have no, sticks out like a sore thumb, amateur performances here.
Particularly stand-out are Frank J. Zupancic as the trafficking gang leader and especially Christian Bako as his truly repugnant and frightening henchman.

Violence is swift and brutal with just the right amount of bloodshed and mild gore to ensure the obviously small FX budget never tries to do what it can't.
As such the death scenes remain powerfully effective with no dubious FX work (by Jeff and Jason Derushie) to take you out of the scene.
Although special mention must go to a grotesquely effective 'jaw smashed off its hinges' effect which is very well done.
Demise by pencil, tire iron, gun, electrical cord, knife and even a coffee table are the order of the day and such up close and personal methods of death (even the gun deaths are pretty close range) really add to the power of not only the film's violence, but to Karma herself.

Given the plot sex of course plays a crucial part in "Sweet Karma" and, despite the (genuine) sympathetic attitude to the women's plight and the condemnation of the men involved in their abuse, the film does deliver nude scenes in an Exploitation fashion.
They are valid given the storyline and Karma's use of her own looks and body is equally valid and yet there is still a good, old fashioned, Grindhouse aesthetic here. Delivering thrills as much as social commentary.
Karma's pole dancing sequence is particularly memorable, and genuinely erotic, for example, despite the serious drama context it's in.
And again, full marks to Ms Bechard!

The main point of contention with "Sweet Karma" would seem to be its very low-fi look. But people are just not getting it.
I assume this was shot on a digital camera, but there is no digital look to the movie. It reminds me more of that far more natural, ultra low budget, look of 80's shot on VHS films like "Video Violence".
Which is a plus, as compared to digital camcorders, VHS pictures look far more film like.
The film basically looks as it should.
It looks like the video (again I assume) equivalent of those old 16mm Grindhouse flicks. And the hand held, almost documentary, style of the camera work (by John V. Lindsay) is also wonderfully effective and adds to the immediate, chaotic, feel of Karma's planned on-the-hoof revenge spree.

The original music by Matteo DiMarr and some excellent songs by various artists also add a great del to the movie.
This is a grinding, sleazy, dark and exciting soundtrack for a grinding, sleazy, dark and exciting movie and is yet another bit of perfection in this damn near perfect movie, of its sort, as a whole.

The finale, a place where so many modern movies fall down in their eagerness to throw in a self-indulgent twist or head scratching revelation just to look clever, takes some dark and cynical turns that make the end of the film even darker.
But unlike most such endings this in no way effects the re-watchability of the film (something kick-ass vigilante flicks thrive on) and it does genuinely work.
And adds an extra layer to the conclusion and thus what the viewer thinks as the credits roll.

So overall then, "Sweet Karma" is a vigilante flick that delivers.
It delivers a supremely hot, powerful, sympathetic female lead, some great sleazy, grim and gritty atmosphere, a frantic pace, lots of action, lots of violence and some crowd pleasingly kick-ass deaths, along with one damn fine sequence of pole dancing erotica.
And it's also well made, well acted and showcases a particularly stunning turn by the films' heart...Shera Bechard.