"People are afraid of all the wrong things." This is
A Walk Among the Tombstones. This neo-noir action thriller film adapted and directed by Scott Frank, and based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Lawrence Block. Matt Scudder, an ex-NYPD cop who now works as an unlicensed private investigator operating just outside the law. When Scudder reluctantly agrees to help a heroin trafficker hunt down the men who kidnapped and then brutally murdered his wife, the PI learns that this is not the first time these men have committed this sort of twisted crime...nor will it be the last. Blurring the lines between right and wrong, Scudder races to track the deviants through the backstreets of New York City before they kill again.
A film adaptation of Block’s novel had been in development for several years with Frank hired to pen the adaptation. In 2002, Harrison Ford was attached to star and Joe Carnahan to direct. In May 2012, it was announced that Liam Neeson had reportedly signed on to star, with Frank himself directing, and production slated to begin February 2013. By early March, Dan Stevens, David Harbour, Brian Bradley, and Boyd Holbrook rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and took place in New York City, New York. In late January 2014, it was announced that the film was set for a September 19, 2014 release date.
The film stars Neeson, Stevens, Harbour, Bradley, and Holbrook. Neeson handles Detective Scudder's charm, fragility and mercurial anger. Stevens and Holbrook are engaging as the beleaguered drug addict and drug trafficker trying to figure out what the hell is happening here.
The film handles the suspense well, supplying plenty of tense cat-and-mouse chases and harrowing encounters with denizens of the underworld and officers of the law alike. It's the kind of edge of your seat thriller that leaves you in constant suspense of how the situation will resolve. Although the film holds a tantalising premise at its heart, the film takes an extremely long time to get to the point. Managing to overcome the contrivances and implausibilities of the storyline, the film succeeds through the sheer verisimilitude of the performances and direction. This movie is from fancy award-winning writer Frank. In other words, you're supposed to take it all as seriously as he does. You may find that challenging. Occasionally preposterous and bogged down by Frank's unusual lack of subtlety, but the film is also captivating and energetic, particularly during the thrilling final act. Frank somehow pulls off a delicate balancing act -- a gravity-bound fantasy scenario -- showing us Scudder's desperate, dark, human need while playing out made-for-movie scenes. Solid performances, beautiful camerawork. It just would've been nice if they'd included some more twists and turns in the otherwise decent script. If I actually gave out star ratings or numerical scores, this one would be right on the fine line between pass and fail.
Simon says A Walk Among the Tombstones receives:
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