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If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, then I can’t imagine what could possibly compare to a woman whose child has been placed in harm’s way. After all, if the female-centric revenge thriller Lila & Eve is any indication, a woman will stop at absolutely nothing to protect—or avenge—her children.
Lila & Eve stars Viola Davis as Lila, a single mother who’s unable to cope after her teenage son is killed in a drive-by shooting. At the local support group for grieving mothers, the only one who seems to understand her anger and bitterness is Eve (Jennifer Lopez), a tough young woman who encourages Lila to stand up for herself and seek justice for her son. Together, the two set out to do what the cops can’t: find the killer—using any means necessary.
Lila & Eve is a different kind of revenge thriller. It doesn’t star a tough guy like Bruce Willis or Liam Neeson. It doesn’t travel the world to track a billionaire crime lord. But these grief-stricken mothers are just as relentless in their quest to clean up their Atlanta neighborhood.
There’s something about this film that’s almost refreshing—because these women aren’t like the typical movie moms. They don’t just sit in their corner and cry while someone else handles (or doesn’t handle) things for them—nor do they bumble their way through their mission in wacky crime comedy style. These women are fierce. Sure, they shed their tears, but they also stand up and do what they feel they need to do. And while their actions go far beyond what most of us would do in their situation, it’s nice to see the women stepping up for a change, taking full advantage of the strength and tenacity that often come with motherhood.
At the same time, though, this is more than just a brainless action movie. It touches on a number of topics—from the agony of loss to the endless cycle of violence in our cities. Lila is blinded by her grief—to the point that she barely notices the pain she causes others while trying to find her son’s killer. And though these issues aren’t really brought to the forefront, they play out in the background, giving viewers something to think about without slowing down the action.
Unfortunately, the film isn’t satisfied with being just an entertaining—and subtly thoughtful—thriller; it wants to be smart and surprising, too. But while the thought behind some of the film’s biggest twists makes sense, it’s all a bit too obvious, throwing off the natural flow of the story while distracting from some of the simple, action movie fun.
In the end, though, Lila & Eve is like the single-mom version of Taken: a suspenseful action movie with an unconventional star. While Viola Davis may not be the next Liam Neeson—and the film probably won’t become a wildly popular franchise—it’s still an intriguing take on the same old revenge thriller.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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