ABSOLUTION
(director: Hans Petter Moland; screenwriter: Tony Gayton; cinematographer: Philip Ogaard; editor: Dino Jonsater; music: Kaspar Kaae; cast:Liam Neeson (Thug), Yolonda Ross (Abused Woman), Frankie Shaw (Daisy), Daniel Diemer (Kyle Conner), Javier Molina (Gamberro), Jimmy Gonzales (Diego Machadon), Josh Drennan (Thug’s Dad), Deanna Nayr Tarraza (Araceli), Terrence Pulliam (Dre), Ron Perlman (Charlie Conner); Runtime: 112; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Roger Birnbaum, Michael Besman, Wasrre
Goz, Eric Gold; Samuel Goldwyn Films; 2024)
“Moderately gripping crime drama.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Norwegian filmmaker Hans Petter Moland (“Aberdeen”/”In Order of Disappearance”) directs this moderately gripping crime drama that takes the form of a character story. It offers more a drama than an action story. It’s effectively written by Tony Gayton, but with no surprises except at how thoughtful it is for a gangster flick.
Liam Neeson plays an ex-boxer and veteran Boston mob enforcer known only as Thug, who works for the mob boss Charlie Conner (Ron Perlman). He partners with the boss’s cokehead and knucklehead son, Kyle (Daniel Diemer), who dad wants Thug to teach how to be the future mob boss.
The aging hood suffers from CTE (which makes it hard for him to remember things). He now wishes to atone for neglecting his estranged daughter Daisy (Frankie Shaw), a stripper who hates him, and he counsels his shy grandson Dre (Terrence Pulliam), Daisy’s adolescent son, not to be a criminal like him but seek a better life. Thug also gets into a cautionary romantic relationship with an abused but feisty woman (Yolonda Ross), who is a little younger than him, that he meets in a bar.
Thug finds it isn’t in the cards for everyone to just turn over a new leaf and be a charitable person, especially if once a bad dude. This becomes the story’s theme.
The lack of action is replaced by a sensitive performance by Liam, giving us one of his better acting jobs. It’s a film the successful older actor can be proud of aesthetically even if the story suffers from too many dull spots, predictability, an awful childhood dream sequence with his father (Josh Drennan) and a slow pace.
REVIEWED ON 11/9/2024 GRADE: B
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