2014 | Maturity Rating: R | 1h 54m | Mysteries. Slim, blond types (one bland, the other goateed), they recall the gay Nazi-like killers in Michael Haneke's American remake of his sadistic art-movie Funny Games. When Scudder reluctantly agrees to help a heroin trafficker (Dan Stevens) hunt down the men who kidnapped and then brutally murdered his wife, the PI learns that this . The challenge is to translate the feel of those novels into something visual, and then from a story standpoint, the moves in these stories are very small, writer/director Scott Frank told us about bringing Lawrence Blocks 1992 book A Walk Among The Tombstones to the big screen. Kenny brings Scudder to Yuri Landau's home, where the kidnappers call and arrange to exchange ransom for Lucia at a cemetery. Demme's films are proof that the best movies--and real works of art--don't simplify life to heroes and villains. In our interview with Frank, he noted that Ruth Wilson who had her scenes cut played a key figure in Scudders life, one that was changed from the books from a man to a woman. Block has talked openly about his decades-long attendance, and Scudder is always taking breaks from detective work to pop into meetings. Once upon a time you could. Scudder eventually learns that the victim Marie Gotteskind was a DEA agent and determines that whoever murdered her also has her files, which they have been using to target drug dealers and traffickers. After a table-turning fight, Scudder overpowers and tasers Albert. I really enjoyed this film and think its one of Liam Neeson's best in years. Meanwhile, Scudder grows closer to TJ, encouraging the boy to study and avoid a life of crime. In New York of 1999, a drug addict named Peter Kristo approaches a retired Scudder, asking him to help his brother Kenny, a drug trafficker. Is Neeson acting out the Twelve Steps in ways other than drinking by helping these people? Frank and Block are obviously ripping-off the heinous perversity of the Jame Gumb character in Jonathan Demme's 1991 The Silence of the Lambs (which revived the specter of the sexually queer but pathetic monster). Hed rather recite AAs 12 steps and humbly ask God to remove his shortcomings than try to violently purge the defects from others. [22] Manohla Dargis in The New York Times called it "one of those rare cinematic offerings: intelligent pulp" but also noted that the film "can be tough to watch, particularly its fleeting images of tortured women". He hits his AA meetings on a regular basis. One of the key relationships Scudder has is with Elaine Mardell, a professional working girl for over two decades, who he met on the job. Jonas. Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. Eight years previously, Detective Matthew "Matt" Scudder, in a car with his partner, is urged to get help and is told he is not a reliable backup. His transformation throughout the movie was cool, too. The moral ambiguities of the novel are transmitted to the big screen version and thats nice to see, but the concessions to the demands of a studio movie ultimately undercut what is a more potent procedural about moral decay, and what it means to take a life. Liam Neeson stars in A Walk Among the Tombstones, an action-thriller based on Lawrence Block's bestselling series of mystery novels. It's the reason he quit being a cop and gave up drinking. Her body was found chopped into neatly wrapped pieces in the back of an abandoned car. Starring Liam Neeson. He only half-succeeds it is sentimental but it helps that Bradley has a hard, unbeatific face, and that the movie needs his bopping energy. Related: Taken 4 Updates: Will The Liam Neeson Sequel Happen? The thing to remember about Block and Scudder is that alcohol and Alcoholics Anonymous are central. Neeson turns in a solid performance, backed by a good supporting cast that features Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) as a sympathetic drug trafficker and a couple of really vicious bad guys. 10 Video Games That Need a Live Action Adaptation, 2023's Most Anticipated Sequels, Prequels, and Spin-offs. "[12], The film was completed on October 8, 2013 and classified by the MPAA as rated R for "strong violence, disturbing images, language, and brief nudity". In 1991 New York, Matt Scudder is an alcoholic police detective. I really liked how disconnected the killers were from emotion. Really was a bit of a shock and even then they didn't milk it for all its worth (a few Y2K references here, a subtle WTC in the final pan out.). They demand $1 million, and in exchange, Scudder demand that they bring Lucia alive and well. Across the street, Scudder sees Loogan exiting an apartment building. A movie version of A Walk Among The Tombstones had been in development for years before the Scott Frank directed version, with Harrison Ford once in line to play the role. A Walk Among the Tombstones Plot. Submissions should be for the purpose of informing or initiating a discussion, not just to entertain readers. The only surprise is that this most primitive kind of homophobia now occurs in the context of a big budget movie geared to mainstream tastes--such as pressing the usual race/feminist buttons same as formulaic TV shows. It was the combination that turned him into this. Albert simply kills him instead. Ah thank you! He regularly has a cigarette in his mouth. In 2002, Harrison Ford was attached to star and D. J. Caruso to direct. [4], The film earned $428,000 from Thursday night from 1,918 theaters, and $4.7 million from 2,712 theaters on its opening day. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. Terms of Service apply. Scudder then goes inside a pub and orders a cup of coffee with shots. Former cop Matt Scudder is now a private eye. In the end, Matthew has Albert subdued on the floor with a gun pointed at his head. He meets TJ, a homeless streetwise youth. The two kidnappers, Ray and Albert, surveil the home of Yuri Landau, another drug trafficker. Sexual backlash was the real point of Steve McQueen's so-called "sex addiction" film Shame where a joint-swinging Michael Fassbender proved his decadence by visiting a gay sex club--referenced here in a similarly red-tinted all-male porn shop sequence where Ray and Albert attempt to lure a sad-sack henchman into a threesome. A Walk Among the Tombstones doesn't entirely transcend its genre clichs, but it does offer Liam Neeson one of his more compelling roles in recent memory, and that's often enough. His actions, by movies end, indicate that he might even be taking on more of a parental role with the teen. What I cant accept is the loss of the finale that gives A Walk Among the Tombstones its grisly poetic symmetry and conclusively demonstrates the difference between Scudders passive acceptance of violence and the vigilante fury of the man hes working for. Matt Scudder (Liam Neeson), formerly part of the NYPD, now works as an unlicensed private detective. And why did they feel the need to save the one girl and kill others related to drugs? Stay up-to-date on all the latest Rotten Tomatoes news! For some reason, Neeson and Frank have decided to give Scudder a New Yawk accent, though that hurts less than it might since its always slipping. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! A Walk Among the Tombstones isnt a kill-em-all Taken-style actioner. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $62 million worldwide. Starring: Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour. Unlicensed. Actress Ruth Wilson (Luther) filmed a major supporting role that was later cut as it was felt Scudder needed to be alone. During the final confrontation, Albert uses this as a garrotte to kill Ray and Kenny, and nearly kills Scudder except the muzzle of his pistol gets caught in the loop, preventing the wire from cutting through Scudder's throat. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. When Scudder reluctantly agrees to help a heroin trafficker (Dan Stevens) hunt down the men who kidnapped and then brutally murdered his wife, the PI learns that this . If you know me by now though, there is always the skepticism of being let down by the actual film. Throughout the book series, including Tombstone, Scudder is hitting meetings almost on a daily basis. A Walk Among the Tombstones is a 2014 American neo-noir action thriller film [5] [6] [7] [8] directed and written by Scott Frank, and based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Lawrence Block. Starring Liam Neeson. PREVIEW. It takes the eccentricity of diverse ethnic and sexual types in the urban jungle and uses them cynically--first in Lawrence Block's 1992 crime thriller novel and now in director Scott Frank's own kind of Hollywood film noir pornography. Coming Soon. Its tense, its moody and prickly, and its ultimately bloody and grim and deadly. Scudder reminds Kenny that there is enough evidence to put Albert behind bars for the rest of his life. He eventually kills him with a gunshot to the head. He also comes to care for a homeless kid named TJ, who he meets during his investigation. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. A Walk Among the Tombstones: Official Clip - Morning Shootout, A Walk Among the Tombstones: Official Clip - A Sudden Strangling, A Walk Among the Tombstones: Official Clip - Kenny's Story, A Walk Among the Tombstones: Official Clip - Your Choice, A Walk Among the Tombstones: Official Clip - Silent Kill, A Walk Among the Tombstones: Official Clip - The Exchange, A Walk Among the Tombstones: Official Clip - Setting Up the Meeting, A Walk Among the Tombstones: Official Clip - Don't Feel Sorry for Me, A Walk Among the Tombstones: Official Clip - Shoot Yourself in the Head, A Walk Among the Tombstones: Official Clip - The Kidnapping. It stars Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour, and Boyd Holbrook. Watch A Walk Among The Tombstones: Scudder Tells The Kidnappers What They Look Like, Watch A Walk Among The Tombstones: Kenny Tells Scudder About His Wife's Kidnapping, Watch A Walk Among The Tombstones: Jonas Finds Scudder Snooping In His Shed, Watch A Walk Among The Tombstones: A Look Inside (Featurette), Watch A Walk Among The Tombstones: A Timeless Story, Watch A Walk Among The Tombstones: Liam Neeson On His Character, Watch A Walk Among The Tombstones: Dan Stevens On His Character, Watch A Walk Among The Tombstones: The Kristo Brothers. Albert suddenly tries to strangle him from behind with a metal wire. My book's in good hands. Coming Soon. The killers buy a guy drinks to better pump him for information. He was Ray & Albert's accomplice. I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. Physically in the cold, mentally in the Caribbean. Read on to uncover the details. A drug kingpin hires troubled ex-cop Matt Scudder to find his wife's killers, a hunt that leads to shocking revelations in New York's underworld. Dont worry, it wont take long. Seeing the trailers earlier this summer, I got chills at the darkness and mystery the tale promised. (Wong Kar-wai was generally taken as the auteur behind the barroom drama My Blueberry Nights, but Block co-wrote the screenplay, and the film had as much to do with his worldview.). Theyre grinning kidnappers of women who take the ransom and then return their victims, as agreed only lovingly cut into small pieces. Scudder takes the job. Matt Follows Loogan. Its a nice undercurrent to a very grim story, and one sorely missed in the film. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 65%, based on 144 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10.The site's consensus reads, "A Walk Among the Tombstones doesn't entirely transcend its genre clichs, but it does offer Liam Neeson one of his more compelling roles in recent memory, and that's often enough." About 25 f-words and 15 s-words. Directed by Scott Frank. In the book, this particular investigation leads him to seriously think about what Elaine means to him and whether not hes still comfortable with her seeing clients, something he didnt mind before. Albert manages to mumble "Y'know, I just wanted to-" before Matthew shoots him dead. The film is largely faithful to the core story of the novel, while cutting several subplots and supporting characters. A Walk Among the Tombstones - Rotten Tomatoes Trending on RT Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania Cocaine Bear The Last of Us Knock at the Cabin Most popular View All A Walk Among the Tombstones R. Scudder, then, is much different from Neesons other bad-guy-hunter, Bryan Mills, in the Taken movies. Chewing the fat with shop owners and others who might have seen more than they realize. For one thing, Scudder plays only a peripheral role an action-movie no-no. Scudder then enters a bar and gets coffee with shots. TJ helps with the research. That's the problem with A Walk Among the Tombstones: Ray and Albert are gay bogeymen who can be hissed and booed without thinking. It contains a mix of suspense, thriller and neo-noir elements. Before they can strike again and destroy other lives, Scudder races through the back streets of New York to catch the killers, blurring the lines between lawful and criminal as he goes. Private investigator Matthew Scudder is hired by a drug kingpin to find out who kidnapped and murdered his wife. 1:28. The bad guys (David Harbour and Adam David Thompson) introduced at the outset are very bad, indeed. And there were other little strings, tiny bits and pieces of the story that pleaded to be pulled at and worried over. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. (Hes equally effective in the coming The Equalizer.) The one teen girl who survives has several of her fingers chopped off. In a new film the pop star co-wrote with director Trey Edward Shults. He seemed very human, and didn't even want to handle this case to begin with. Even though he received a commendation, he quit his job as a cop and he gave up alcohol. Copyright Fandango. Played straight when Matthew gets into a running gunfight with three gangbangers despite the fact that he was drinking in a bar. That the best movies -- and real works of art -- do n't life. Very grim story, and Scudder is now a private eye abandoned a walk among the tombstones why did albert kill ray grows to... To your inbox the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to inbox... 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