Absolution

by Mike McGranaghan

Liam Neeson has spent most of the past decade making variations of the same generic action movie. This has made discussing his career difficult. How do you distinguish between Honest Thief and Blacklight? Or between Memory and The Marksman? Neeson’s latest, Absolution, even has a title that sounds suspiciously similar to his Retribution, which just came out last year. For that reason, you’ll have to trust me that Absolution is both different and worthy of your time.

Neeson plays “Thug,” an aging gangster who has been diagnosed with CTE, a condition that impacts his ability to remember things. Okay, that’s pretty much the same as the character he played in Memory. The difference is that instead of being a revenge drama, the movie is a character study about how Thug attempts to bring meaning to his remaining time. He forms a romance with an abused woman (Yolonda Ross), tries to mend fences with the estranged daughter (Frankie Shaw) who wants nothing to do with him, dispenses advice to his grandson (Terrence Pulliam), and works to save a victim of human trafficking.

Absolution does have some intermittent action. For the most part, though, it’s a straight drama dealing with Thug coming to terms with the repercussions of his criminal lifestyle. In an interesting twist, the character finds redemption isn’t easy. There are no simple answers here. At one point, Thug says he might need to do something bad in order to do something good. Tony Gayton’s screenplay suggests that becoming a better person simply isn’t in the cards for everybody. When you’ve been a piece of garbage for your whole life, there may be no turning back. This idea is the element that most distinguishes the movie.

Neeson gives one of his best performances in years. He avoids the repetitive “very particular set of skills” toughness that he’s adopted since Taken in favor of a layered approach. Thug certainly has his tough side, often showing defiance in the face of his illness. But he also contends with a newfound vulnerability he doesn’t entirely know what to do with. Neeson makes all of this feel genuine, creating a multi-faceted character whose plight it's hard not to get wrapped up in.

The compelling nature of Thug helps carry Absolution over a few mild cliches, like the desire to warn his grandson not to be like him. His relationship with his kingpin employer (Ron Perlman) is underdeveloped, as well, especially given how the finale hinges on it. Regardless, that stuff is here to add detail to Thug’s personal journey, and director Hans Petter Moland (Cold Pursuit) moves deftly between the various sections of this man's world. The movie may have less overt action than Neeson’s recent output, yet it’s never dull.

The actor recently announced an intention to retire from the genre. If that is indeed the case, Absolution is a good picture to go out on. It is to Neeson what Unforgiven was to Clint Eastwood – an aging action hero’s reflective look at the toll of violence. Don’t be fooled by outward appearances; this isn’t another carbon copy of Taken, it’s a film with substance.

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