Redemption | 2.5/5 (M18, 100 min)

Wham! Bam! Jason Statham is back with another action thriller. Only this time, he does more than just take down thugs in a darkened alley.

Statham stars as Joey Jones, an alcoholic and homeless ex-Special Forces soldier on the run from court martial for his wartime atrocities in Afghanistan. He lives on the gritty streets of London but rehabilitates himself to avenge for the murder of a fellow vagrant, Isabel.

Then it gets a little peculiar: Statham breaks into a loft belonging to an out-of-town fashion photographer and conveniently assumes his identity. He also falls in love with a nun, Cristina (Agata Buzek) and lavishes her with ill-gotten riches from working with a Chinese mobster.

“Ambitious” would probably be the word best used to describe the directorial debut by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Steven Knight (Eastern Promises, Dirty Pretty Things). The screenplay is chock-a-block with social issues from illegal immigrants to human trafficking to underground triads and prostitution. Ufortunately, such complexities make the film incongruous rather than ingenious.

The viewer is also left wondering who one should root for when morality is so blurred. (Statham spends his takings on pizzas for the homeless - although his earnings come from taking money from struggling families for the mobsters.)

While we’re likely to find the plot bizarre and confusing at times, Knight’s effort in steering away from one-tone vigilantism is still commendable. Knight gives his characters enough depth, with layers of back-story and there are no quick fixes.

Redemption also redeems itself with the brilliant cinematography by Chris Menges, an Oscar winner for The Mission and The Killing Fields. The film is luxuriantly shot and showcases the nocturnal, underbelly of London in unrelenting sombre tones. One of the most compelling shots sees Statham in a lorry full of neatly lined cupboard boxes, where it is revealed that he’s trafficking humans, as the hands of those kidnapped stretch out from wihtin the boxes).

It’s not your typical Statham film where he delivers mindless action. But there is enough depth to prevent this film from being the generic violent excursion of one seeking revenge and redemption.