Is it wrong that I’m in love with a 62 year old? To be fair, that 62 year old is Liam Neeson…
Based on Lawrence Block’s bestselling series of crime mystery novels, A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES follows former cop turned unlicensed private eye Matt Scudder (Neeson) who reluctantly agrees to hunt down two men that kidnapped and murdered a drug trafficker’s wife. But the hunt ain’t that simple. Soon the two men strike again, dragging Scudder in further than he bargained for.
Set against the bleak backdrop of grimy Brooklyn in the late 1990s, A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES offers atmospheric imagery and immersive nods to 90s culture (loving the Y2K ads!)
Writer and Director Scott Frank has clearly put a lot of love into his project, with obvious attention to the finer details. While not all his chosen conventions work seamlessly, overall it’s pretty slick filmmaking.
Neeson offers a thoughtful performance as the flawed, but ultimately good, ex-cop, and David Harbour, as ‘Ray’ (the mastermind behind the kidnappings) is decidedly creepy. It’s a solid cast throughout.
While the flick teeters on the edge of getting bogged down in too many plot points, and the pace is not always well maintained (why the AA meeting scenes mid-action?!) it’s a gripping story with a hefty shovel of suspense.
I wasn’t overly convinced by the friendship Scudder strikes up with homeless teen T.J (Astro). However, considering the brutal nature of the kidnappers’ murders, I can forgive their attempt at including some sort of humanity we could feel warm and fuzzy about.
Judge a movie by its audience I say, and the audience was groaning, gasping and laughing in all the right places. A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES: I award it 6 stars
