UK Release Date: September 19th 2014Private investigator Matthew Scudder is hired by a drug kingpin to find out who kidnapped and murdered his wife.
Director: Scott Frank (The Lookout)
Starring: Liam Neeson, Maurice Compte, David Harbour, Dan Stevens, Brian 'Astro' Bradley
Liam Neeson, as I might have said before, is a surprise action hero, an unlikely man that is close to many people's hearts because he makes an honest, real person in to a dominant force. Taken, The Grey and Non-Stop all show it and A Walk Among the Tombstones follows them spectacularly.
There are blatant similarities with Taken, except this time it's not personal, it's business. Matt Scudder (Neeson) would rather devise a plan and use a different set of skills; his cunning and his choice of words. Bryan Mills (Taken) goes all-guns blazing. The streaks and hues of greys and dark colours and the constant spatter of rain that dominate the film add to it's melancholy tone. That and the desire to kill, to get revenge (for the husband) and that it's sombre throughout.
The plot is strong. There's no messing around. Scudder reveals his qualities and burdens as the pace quickens. He's a very interesting yet mysterious character, one that by the end you'll be hoping to see more of. Astro's homeless, intelligent youngster TJ helps Scudder but persistently tags along, like an itch that never goes away. The questionable partnership is absurd but a touch sentimental. TJ helps Scudder as much as Scudder helps TJ.
The finest yet deadliest pairing come from the kidnappers. Out of focus close-ups and off-screen teases leave this aura of sadism and immorality from Tombstones' unseen villains. We want some just punishment served.
Tombstones evokes a foreboding power from its characters and very dark script, having us on tenterhooks until the bitter end. To see more of Scudder's 'future' investigations would be great.
4/5
The plot is strong. There's no messing around. Scudder reveals his qualities and burdens as the pace quickens. He's a very interesting yet mysterious character, one that by the end you'll be hoping to see more of. Astro's homeless, intelligent youngster TJ helps Scudder but persistently tags along, like an itch that never goes away. The questionable partnership is absurd but a touch sentimental. TJ helps Scudder as much as Scudder helps TJ.
The finest yet deadliest pairing come from the kidnappers. Out of focus close-ups and off-screen teases leave this aura of sadism and immorality from Tombstones' unseen villains. We want some just punishment served.
Tombstones evokes a foreboding power from its characters and very dark script, having us on tenterhooks until the bitter end. To see more of Scudder's 'future' investigations would be great.
4/5
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