Michael's Movie Grade: B+
An excellent revenge thriller.
As most moviegoers know, Liam Neeson has spent most of the recent part of his career making revenge thrillers that follow a certain formula. While in many ways this film conforms to this formula, this is easily one of his better films of recent years. One of the reasons of this is the sheer sense of atmosphere throughout. This film not only takes place in Ireland but was shot there. This movie truly captures the visual beauty of Ireland, and this visual beauty delightfully contrasts with the darkness of the story. One could argue that Ireland is as much of character here as any that are played by actors. This movie also very much takes its time to build up atmosphere. It starts off a slower pace than many recent Liam Neeson films, but these slower scenes draw us deeper into the dark but beautiful world of this movie. When we reach the bloody action-packed climax, it feels completely earned and has more weight to it. This film also benefits from a strong supporting cast. Kerry Condon, Desmond Eastwood and other turn in truly wonderful performances that help make these characters feel very human and real. The script by Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane has a lot of well written and intelligent dialogue that elevates this above many other revenge thrillers.
This movie does have its flaws though. There are a few times when its adherence to the formula can make certain scene seem a little too familiar (especially for those who have seen Liam Neeson's recent films). This is also a movie full of clever ideas (such as do the ends truly justify the means) that are not as explored as they should be.
While this is formula driven movie, it delivers this formula in an excellent way.
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