Absolution, 2024.
Directed by Hans Petter Moland.
Starring Liam Neeson, Ron Perlman, Yolonda Ross, Frankie Shaw, Daniel Diemer, Javier Molina, Jimmy Gonzales, Josh Drennen, Deanna Tarraza, Terrence Pulliam, Omar Moustafa Ghonim, Tom Kemp, Ryan Homchick, William Xifaras, Ryan Caraway, Matthew Delamater, Brian A. White, and Bryan Caraway.
SYNOPSIS:
An aging gangster attempts to reconnect with his children and rectify the mistakes in his past, but the criminal underworld won’t loosen their grip willingly.
In director Hans Petter Moland’s Absolution, Liam Neeson’s “aging gangster” protagonist is generically credited as “Thug,” which fits considering that the narrative is one long list of clichés, one of which seems to be becoming its own tired sub-genre. From a screenplay by Tony Gayton, this is also another story about a killer developing a memory loss condition (caused by CTE here) and now seeking to make amends with his family and whomever else he has wronged.
Trends are a part of movies, so I can’t ignore the possibility that this otherwise unforgivably boring film would have worked if it wasn’t at least the third time I have experienced a similarly rote story this year. Then again, there is almost nothing interesting here, period, other than the presence of Liam Neeson in a tough guy role that’s more concerned with using him for his dramatic ability rather than uninspired action (which has been severely overdone over the past 15 years.) If nothing else, these filmmakers know the right moment to spring him loose in a grounded way, born from the simple fact that he has nothing left to lose.
Before that, Thug’s life was business as usual: picking up cash, drugs, or killing others for career criminal Charlie Conner (Ron Perlman in a nothing-burger of a role). Now, Thug is teaching Charlie’s ambitious coke-head son Kyle (Daniel Diemer) how these criminal underworld deals work and go down. That is until he notices forgetful behavior and an increasingly consistent pattern of writing basic information down that most people would have stored in their core memory. A neurologist diagnoses him with CTE, something this thug understands about as well as Stone Cold Steve Austin, although he at least seems to believe it’s real.
Thug tries to hide the diagnosis away from his criminal employers and a friendly, broken woman (literally credited as Woman and played by Yolonda Ross, generating empathy and generally coming across as the most complicated, fascinating person here, especially with a small reveal toward the end) he occasionally sleeps with and opens up to about personal matters. One of those regular topics is his family and how he is trying to get back into the life of the daughter he abandoned (Frankie Shaw), who is struggling to pay rent and work as a stripper, and getting to know his grandson Dre (Terrence Pulliam.)
There are also surrealist dream sequences depicting Thug, as he is now played by Liam Neeson, on a boat with a younger version of the father (Josh Drennen), who made him who he is today by encouraging violent behavior as a productive and justifiable way to handle bullying. The terminology used is also quite demanding and toxic, instilling toxic machismo into Thug from a young age that has seemingly eroded every important relationship in his life. Even worse, his daughter seems to have found herself getting involved with similarly hotheaded men who abandoned her just like her father did.
The longer Absolution goes on, the more that toxic masculinity and aggressive behavior rears its ugly head, leading to several outbursts referring to women as female dogs and, at one point, coming dangerously close to violently laying a hand on one. This is still a character on the path to a redemption arc, eventually realizing that he must break the cycle set forth by his father. The details of how he will make things right are predictable from the opening moments before anyone has put a bounty on his head. Yes, that also happens here because this movie is loaded with story and plot but no compelling characterization or anything original about the tale it is trying to tell. Here’s another cycle that needs to be broken: the poor quality curse of movies about memory-ailing career criminals looking to make amends before death inevitably comes.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
