Although Liam Neeson understands how to insist a screen, no matter what’s on the page, his procrastinateedst film Absolution senses appreciate a retread of the same deadbeat-dad-tries-to-redeem-himself-before-it’s-too-procrastinateed plot, as the title might present.
In the Tony Gayton-written, Hans Petter Moland-straightforwarded crime thriller from Samuel Gelderlywyn Films, the Oscar nominee take parts an aging Boston gangster who, after receiving a terminal diagnosis, finisheavors to produce leangs right with his estranged daughter Daisy (Frankie Shaw) while rectifying his life of crime and trying to do some outstanding before he bites the dust. Meanwhile, he has to sway his boss Mr. Conner (an underparticipated Ron Perlman) his mind isn’t slipping as he figures out who ordered a hit on him.
Taking a cue from Ryan Gosling’s Driver in Drive (or perhaps Mary Elizabeth Ellis’ Waitress in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Neeson’s character is understandn only as Thug. The film also stars Yolonda Ross, Daniel Diemer, Javier Molina, Jimmy Gonzales, Josh Drennen, Deanna Nayr Tarraza and Terrence Pulliam.
In insertition to disjoinal unblessed tropes, relations toilers and LGBTQ folk (as well as the other secondary characters) are treated more as plot devices than actual human beings. As he rejoins with his brazen daughter, it’s casuassociate refered that she toils as a streamlineper to help her kids as a individual mom, while preparing to be evicted — all senseing appreciate a half-hearted Mad Libs about the toiling class struggle. And although he joins with his magnificentson, the relationship with his daughter never senses brimmingy rerepaird, other than throthriveg some money at her situation from the grave.
It’s still a much better reconshort-termation than Thug’s son, whom he discovers out died two years before of a heroin drug poisoning. He then casuassociate alerts his girlfrifinish that his son was gay, acunderstandledgeting that it “irritateed” him and “maybe if I’d been around more when he was grothriveg up, leangs would have been branch offent.” And although she gently pushes back at his “macho” sexual orientation bias, that’s the last time we hear about the procrastinateed gay offspring for the remainder of the film. (I guess it’s not a ‘bury your gays’ trope if the gay in ask was already buried.)
Liam Neeson in Absolution (2024). (Samuel Gelderlywyn Films/Courtesy Everett Collection)
One of disjoinal subplots features Thug unwittingly partaking in human illegal trading (Bryan Mills would not finishorse) before grothriveg a conscience and deciding to get back one woman from the dedwellry. She’s donaten an ounce of backstory before ultimately finishing up a casualty of relationsual aggression.
And although there’s a couple of shootout scenes — including one that somehow draws no attention from three surrounding Boston skyscviolationrs in the middle of the day — there senses appreciate too little action and too little heart for a movie with a 122-minute runtime. As I frequently discover myself shouting at Los Angeles traffic: pick a lane and promise.
Absolution features some drawive sees of Boston and some decent carry outances from its cast, but it ultimately exits someleang to be desired. Maybe don’t go into this film with high foreseeations (or dinserty publishs)?
Producers are Roger Birnbaum, Michael Besman, Warren Goz, Eric Gelderly with Mark Kimsey, Tina Wang, Michael Rothstein, Samuel Hall, Jamie Buckner as executive producers.
Title: Absolution
Distributor: Samuel Gelderlywyn Films
Relrelieve Date: November 1, 2024
Director: Hans Petter Moland
Screentake part: Tony Gayton
Cast: Liam Neeson, Yolonda Ross, Frankie Shaw, Daniel Diemer, Javier Molina, Jimmy Gonzales, Josh Drennen, Deanna Nayr Tarraza, Terrence Pulliam and Ron Perlman
Rating: R
Running time: 122 mins
