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THE FILM: Despite having a run-of-the-mill story, A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES has some of best character work that Liam Neeson has done in a long time. In this film Liam Neeson plays Matt Scudder, a former cop turned unlicensed private detective. When a heroin dealer (Dan Stevens) approaches him about investigating his wife's disappearance, he ends up getting a little more than he bargained for. One thing I really liked about this film was the attention it paid to its characters. Matt Scudder was very well-developed, and even the supporting cast were given their due. Other than Matt, my favorite character was a black teenager who kind of ends up being Matt's sidekick. He was very down-to-earth and quite funny at times in a movie that tended to be more downbeat (which is perfectly fine). Even the villains, despite not having as much development, were interesting for their rather nonchalant approach to what they do and, like all of the characters in the movie, had various shades of grey as none of the characters were clear-cut good or bad. Another thing I found interesting, although it didn't add substantially to a deeper interpretation of the film, was that it was set in 1999 (in New York) around the time that Y2K was a big deal. Anxiety about that hangs over the entire film, although I can't say that really added too much. Yes, Matt Scudder is averse to technology (the internet, cell phones, etc), but it still felt like a missed opportunity to comment on a pivotal period in American history. Still despite all of this great supporting detail and several interesting characters, the story is somewhat routine in that it's basically just a private eye tracking down some sadistic criminals. There's also not much flair or originality in the way it's presented or unfolds. What I will say in the story's defense, though, is that the nature of the violence is handled rather tastefully and wasn't overly gratuitous like in some of the recent fare that Liam Neeson has been in. There was sufficient emotional impact to justify what was shown and it served the story beyond just having some action to placate fans who go see Liam Neeson movies for that reason. When all is said and done, though, despite the downbeat tone to the story it's not all depressing. There's a sequence towards the end which includes the 12 Steps from AA (Matt Scudder is a recovering alcoholic) that felt uplifting in a way, and that contrasts nicely with the anxiety and tension derived from the film's setting during the Y2K scare. Overall, I liked the film for being a little more thoughtful than most of the genre films that Liam Neeson has done in the past few years. He seemed right at home in this role, and I look forward to a sequel, should they choose to make one.
THE EXTRAS: The Blu-ray is a little light on special features, with only two short featurettes totaling about 19 minutes. The first one is a behind-the-scenes piece which talks about the journey the story made from book to screen, and a limited look at the production. The other was focused on the character of Matt Scudder and heavily featured the author talking about his creation. While not bad by any means, they certainly could have included a little more supplementary material.
OVERALL: It won't win any points for originality, but Liam Neeson is great as the main character and sells this rather ordinary private dick story. It also doesn't hurt that the film has some tone and style to spare. However, for the viewer who likes a more in-depth view into filmmaking than just the film itself may provide might find themselves disappointed. Still, it's hard not to recommend this film for Liam Neeson's performance alone.
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Thomas Knackstedt
„Ich war nicht mutig; ich war schlicht betrunken.“
Reviewed in Germany on July 11, 2015
