An aging criminal with a terminal disease finds an unexpected romance while attempting to reconnect with the daughter he abandoned. Absolution has an unnamed Liam Neeson flexing acting muscles instead of his trigger finger in a plodding but genuine character study. The deeply wounded ensemble struggles to establish connections in a gritty, poverty-stricken setting that exploits the helpless. The narrative suffers from pacing issues, but delivers several gut-punch reveals. Audiences expecting an all-out action film are going to be surprised by the level of dramatic depth.
A Tough Enforcer with a Terminal Illness
An aging gangster, played by Liam Neeson, is determined to reconnect with his estranged children and atone for the mistakes of his violent past. However, the criminal underworld isn't ready to let him walk away, leading to a high-stakes confrontation where old loyalties are tested.
- Release Date
- November 1, 2024
- Director
- Hans Petter Moland
- Cast
- Liam Neeson , Ron Perlman , Daniel Diemer , Yolonda Ross , Omar Moustafa Ghonim , Tom Kemp , Ryan Homchick , William Xifaras , Josh Drennen , Kris Eivers , Ryan Caraway , Terrence Pulliam , Ghia Truesdale , Kayla Kohla
- Runtime
- 122 Minutes
- A well-cast movie with a strong Liam Neeson and an especially good Frankie Shaw.
- A surprisingly in-depth character study with detailed drama and a strong ending.
- Absolution is just too long and suffers from sluggish pacing and unneccessary subplots.
Absolution opens with a glimpse of Neeson at work as muscle for Kyle (Daniel Diemer), the cocaine-snorting son of Boston crime lord Charlie Conner (Ron Perlman). Later, after they 'negotiate' a pick-up in New York City, the enforcer has difficulty remembering details of the meeting. He drives towards the water and gets out of his car confused. He can't remember where he lives. A nearby tower triggers his memory. He enters his empty, dilapidated house and starts drinking. Loneliness overtakes him. A drive to a nearby bar shows the bodyguard can deliver on his promises. He makes quick work of a muscled goon threatening a woman (Yolonda Ross).
Memory problems continue to plague him the next day. He freezes while collecting money and drugs from a crooked doctor, begrudgingly admitting he's been getting worse. The doctor recommends he immediately see a specialist. Several days later at the hospital, he winces at the dire prognosis. The thug has advanced CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a degenerative brain disease that will render him an invalid before certain death shortly thereafter. He must get his affairs in order. Does he have anyone close to help him?
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Liam Neeson Discusses His Mustached Gangster in Absolution & Upcoming Naked Gun Movie
The great Liam Neeson dishes on being an action star at his age and donning a mustache for the new thriller Absolution, out Nov. 1, 2024.
Absolution's strengths lie in layered character development. Norwegian director Hans Petter Moland, who previously worked with Neeson in Cold Pursuit, explores every facet of the thug's troubled life to build exposition. Neeson looks tough as nails in a weathered leather jacket, meaty side burns, an old-school mustache, and a gangster's ride, a sweet, cherry-red '70s Chevrolet Chevelle SS. The bodyguard goes to a boxing gym in a sad attempt to relive old glory. He's no match for fighters half his age, but refuses to go down despite being pummeled into a bloody mess. His brain condition is easily understood.
Well-Cast Supporting Characters Strengthen Absolution
Two female supporting characters are instrumental to the narrative. Yolando Ross, also never named, is one half of a one-night stand that evolves into something more. Her equally hard-drinking and smoking lifestyle masks a severely troubled woman desperate for solace. She finds comfort in the bodyguard's arms as they both admit their flaws. Neither have any illusion of a happy ending together, but savor the warmth of the moment. They're a couple barely surviving at the razor's edge. Neeson and Ross have an uneasy chemistry that's fascinating to behold.
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Its Liam Neeson versus nature. And you can watch it now for free.
Frankie Shaw co-stars as Daisy, the enforcer's daughter. She's perfectly cast as a struggling mother tired of excuses from the men who have failed her. Neeson's character is astonished to find out he has two grandchildren. Daisy doesn't welcome his efforts. He was a terrible father, absent in her life, and can't expect to be accepted back with open arms. But she's also not cruel or mean-spirited. Daisy understands her biracial son, Tre (Terrance Pullman), is curious about his mysterious grandfather. But she's conflicted over allowing them to establish a relationship. Her son is searching for a father figure. Daisy knows her father's violent occupation, though, and won't allow him to influence Tre.
Sluggish Pacing Before a Blood Climax
Tony Gayton's (The Salton Sea, Faster) script starts to overreach with competing subplots. The protagonist's declining health, family, and girlfriend issues are compounded by strange dream sequences about Daisy's dead brother and Kyle's arrogant desire to prove his gangster mettle. Gayton further adds to the stew with an alarming wrinkle that could have been a separate story in its own right. This leads directly to Absolution's biggest flaw. The film clocks in at a sluggish 122 minutes. The pacing feels like molasses dripping backwards at times. Moland lingers for too long in the wrong places.
Absolution does get its act together for the requisite bloody climax. The characters exist in an unforgiving environment that takes no prisoners. Gayton deserves credit for dropping a few bombshells that you definitely won't see coming. Absolution will try your patience, but warrants a recommendation for strong casting and being unpredictable at the right time. The final act isn't pretty to say the least.
Absolution is a production of Sculptor Media and Electromagnetic Productions. It will be released theatrically on November 1st from Samuel Goldwyn Films.
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