In the wake of violent crime, justice is the best we can do. That is unless you can get a little street justice. But vengeance comes with a cost, and Lover’s Appetite by writer/director Jeremy Ruiz gives us a pretty good serving.
The film begins in the back alley of a big city. Alongside the furious pacing of Peter Tess (Keith Cruickshank) there’s a sterile, order to the framing. But when the characters take over, chaos fills the void with an abrupt departure.
Officer Rodrick (Jeremy Ruiz) arrives, and Cruickshank oozes with urgency. Still, he’s hopeful, but Ruiz lowers the boom without saying a word. The police officer pulls down his hoodie and the actor’s sullen eyes and body language encapsulate tragedy.
Peter’s sister involved, a foreboding single beat score that must lead to an abyss, we go back and get a glimpse of what happened. A cryptic snippet, Rodrick cautiously arrives at an active crime scene, and cut short, we are really drawn in by the gapping omission.
Another cut away, five days have passed, and Marlon (Leonys Morel) is added to the mystery. Peter’s estranged brother, the reunion comes off with a demeanor that keeps them at arm’s length.
The lonely docks setting reinforces the point, but the re-cued score reminds that no matter the relationship, the rabbit hole takes precedence.
Even more so when Marlon’s odd behavior digs deeper, and the inclusion of more details does no favors for Marlon’s position.
As a result, Peter can’t keep a lid, and Cruickshank reaches down into the simmer from the opening scene to access the explosive pain his character harbors.
Thus, Peter forces the uncertainty to a head, and Rodrick reenters the picture. So do even more details, and just horrific, the street still screams to settle the score.
Actual justice not necessarily agreeing, Ruiz tempers all the emotion with the tools of a police officer’s training and remains the voice of reason. From there, we are persuaded to all the potential pitfalls of going behind the back of the criminal justice system.
On the other hand, the emotional momentum of this or any atrocity is not easily overlooked. This especially as Morel’s delivery doesn’t hold back and allows Marlon’s inner demons to seep out.
So while justice is blind, revenge can steamroll with a tunnel vision of rage. Ruiz’s eyes reinforce the helplessness, and now the score resonates like the walls are collapsing in.
We yearn for satisfaction nonetheless, and Cruickshank puts a face on the emotion for us. Terrifying, no one is safe, and when these ten minutes are over, there’s little doubt about all the collateral damage that revenge can bring.
