While Kenny is downstairs, Albert wakes up. Coming Soon. And this makes him a much more complicated character than the loner private investigator of Franks film. ), although it did have its druggy charms. He tells Scudder their address. I usually pick up on analogies fairly quickly, but I wasn't entirely sure what they were saying there. When the fourteen year-old daughter of a drug dealer is also kidnapped, Scudder heads up a group to rescue the teenager. As the body count goes up, he must use unreliable witnesses and gut intuition to try to catch the murderers. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. I really enjoyed this film and think its one of Liam Neeson's best in years. Im glad they left T.J. out of the trailers, though. This Article is related to: Features and tagged A Walk Among The Tombstones, Feature, Features. I was so uncertain of what his arc would be that I even wondered briefly if he was going to end up shooting Liam Neeson in the end of the movie, right when you think the action is over. Hal Ashbys 8 Million Ways to Die missed the essentials (it was set in L.A.! Please reference Error Code 2121 when contacting customer service. There is also an underlying thread of race in the book, as Blocks dealers are Lebanese Kenan and Pete Khoury. People are afraid of all the wrong things. He also has a weekly dinner with his AA sponsor Jim Faber, who lends an ear and offers advice from time to time. I enjoyed that song as well. 1:28. Ive been reading Lawrence Blocks New Yorkset Matthew Scudder detective novels for almost three decades and hoping that some filmmaker would finally nail their distinctive, highly influential vibe, in which the PI hero meets sadism with grim stoicism but goes all-out to get the bad guys anyway: If its in his control to do something, he will he must act. It was a stray bullet in the midst of an unexpected shootout. A headshot spouts blood all over a cars windshield. It stars Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour, and Boyd Holbrook. Scudder gives him a phone so that TJ can reach him if he needs anything. Peter is killed, and Scudder wounds Ray. That's the problem with A Walk Among the Tombstones: Ray and Albert are gay bogeymen who can be hissed and booed without thinking. Matt regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in an effort to stay liquor- and drug-free. Unlicensed. The Hard Case Crime tie-in novel is also in stores. When Kenny makes it clear he's going to take revenge, Scudder takes TJ and leaves. The Magical Last Hours of the Flix Gonzlez-Torres Show. By creating an account, you agree to the As for the killers turning on each other, that shift doesnt need the excuse of the gunshot wound. After Albert and Ray arrive at their place, TJ sneaks out of the van. "I just wanted" Maybe "I just wanted to make Ray happy?". what do you guys think the quiet bad guy was about to say before he was interrupted by Liam Neeson at the end of the movie? It's offensive that the filmmakers' idea of villainy is so generic that the killers can easily be viewed as homophobic targets. UK theatrical version was cut by the distributor to secure a "15" rating (a scene of sexual threat (including an aggressive use of the word 'cunt')). That seemed like the most implausible part of the movie. Unavailable on an ad-supported plan due to licensing restrictions. Based on an article, Scudder goes to a cemetery and speaks with a groundskeeper, Jonas Loogan, upset that Scudder reminds him of finding trash bags with body parts of the dismembered Leila in the cemetery pond. In 2014 he played ex-cop Matt Scudder in A Walk Among The Tombstones, and thischaracter comes from a series of neo-noir books from author Lawrence Block. Kenny knocks Albert unconscious with a bottle. However, in Blocks book, Petes pain comes simply from his heroin and alcohol addiction, one that finds him routinely on and off the wagon. 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 is not the first time these men have committed this sort of twisted crimenor will it be the last. Physically in the cold, mentally in the Caribbean. TJ helps with the research. They be putting the money in the trunk an sittin up front, so they aint even gone look in the back. 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. But that film's concept of social and sexual loners was problematic--and way too subtle (which may have inspired Demme to immediately follow up with the gay-affirming protest film Philadelphia). Neither is it some kind of man-against-the-monsters supernatural thriller like the title might suggest. It was the combination that turned him into this. Albert simply kills him instead. Albert actually hears the ringtone, but dismisses it. The thing to remember about Block and Scudder is that alcohol and Alcoholics Anonymous are central. 1:28. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. [11] Producers invited author Block to the set to watch filming. After a table-turning fight, Scudder overpowers and tasers Albert. Written & Directed by Scott Frank. After a desperate struggle, Scudder shoots Albert in the head without trying to take him prisoner. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from [email protected]. Ah thank you! [9] In May 2012, Liam Neeson had reportedly signed on to play Matthew Scudder in the film, with Frank himself directing, and production slated to begin February 2013. Scudder goes back inside the house and finds Albert gone. Scudder then enters a bar and gets coffee with shots. It's only to TJ that he confesses that one of his shots killed a young girl. Another is pounded in the knee and face with a baseball bat, leaving his nose and mouth bleeding. Yet Hollywood seems to focus on the latter, not deviating from the stoic man who can rip armies of murderers asunder and come out swinging. Hmmm. As previously mentioned A Walk Among The Tombstones dials up the action from the novel, which includes giving the two main villains more development. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use. Its an interesting look at the process and adaptation, but warning: spoilers ahead. The girl Scudder accidentally killed has the classic blood on a white blouse. And what happens next changes dramatically from Blocks book. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Directed by Scott Frank. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. Actress Ruth Wilson (Luther) filmed a major supporting role that was later cut as it was felt Scudder needed to be alone. Albert and Ray escape in their van, with TJ hiding in the back. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. 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. Shes dead. As he sloshes through the refuse in the steaming gutters of New York, hed rather be talking to witnesses and untangling the threads of a nasty killing spree than starting one. And Blocks story is pre-internet/pre-cellphone too, which lends it a grittier feeling. Maybe Jennifer would have more support if she werent wrong so often. All an accident. He tells TJ that carrying a gun on the street is the same as putting it to his own forehead and pulling the trigger. A Walk Among the Tombstones. Hes another of Gods Loneliest Men. getting a commendation for his actions in stopping three criminals, drug dealers who won't go to the police for help. Nothing more, nothing less. Albert suddenly tries to strangle him from behind with a metal wire. He is asked by a drug dealer to find the men who kidnapped his wife. He is asked by a drug dealer to find the men who kidnapped his wife. Scudder leaves Kenny alone with Albert while he puts TJ in a taxi to his apartment. Albert (like Ray) is a sociopathic serial killer with a complete. Matt Scudder used to be a cop. Its brutal stuff. Dont worry, it wont take long. (Evoking hospital orderlies as well as morgue attendants, their clinical use of Cronenbergian surgical instruments carries AIDS panic.) It stars Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour, and Boyd Holbrook. I feel like Liam Neeson hasn't been given much to work with since the success of "Taken." As far as crime/thrillers go this is a by the book film, Typical and predictable plot but it was very well done and gripping, Liam Neeson puts in one of his best performances and carries the film most of the time, There's little action but it didn't need much, I had little interest in watching this film but I found it pretty good after having no expectations for it, It can be slow at times but if you're a fan of a well told noir style thrillers then this film is right up your street. He has the wisdom to know what cant be changed and what can. If there are further cinematic stories to come from Scudder (though the box office suggests there might not be) we hope more of his personal life enters the picture, as it makes him a more interesting character, with more to lose too. I enjoyed it, but the ending felt a little flat. In the book, Scudder leaves and Kenny enacts his revenge alone, blinding and dismembering Ray - who killed Albert in this version - but leaving him alive, though he later dies in hospital. Scudder and Kenny find TJ outside the house and they all silently enter the house finding Albert calmly eating his dinner. It should have been avoided in A Walk Among the Tombstones, in which a pair of gay serial killers are hunted down by Liam Neeson playing Matthew Scudder, an ex-cop turned private investigator. Hes fascinated by people who dont have control. Former cop Matt Scudder is now a private eye. The movie's lean plot, a wealth of action and Neeson's commanding presence made it a surprise hit and it received two sequels. In a new film the pop star co-wrote with director Trey Edward Shults. 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. Firstly, there is no shootout in the graveyard, a sequence which seems invented purely for the sake of putting action on the screen. They seized her files as well, which included information on his brother and his wife. A Walk Among the Tombstones Plot. Albert surrenders and Scudder cuffs him. Liam Neesons Matt Scudder is primarily interested in seeking out clues to a crime. 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. A Walk Among The Tombstones: Book Vs Movie Differences. Meanwhile, when it comes to drug trafficker Kenny Kristo (Dan Stevens) and his brother Pete (Boyd Holbrook), the wedge between them that ones successful, while the other is a junkie is the same, but changed for the film in a key way. He goes up into the rooftop and finds a shed, where Loogan is living. Even in genres where he isn't some kind of cop, he still seems to maintain the badass persona where he knows everything and anything. Its a decision that nicely underscores one of the films key lines of dialogue from one of the villains: People are afraid of the wrong thing. Frank wants to make viewers squirm about the unknown evil around us every day, and he succeeds in establishing that vibe. A Walk Among the Tombstones isn't a kill-'em-all Taken-style actioner. The camera also examines photographs of a topless woman who is in the middle of having sex. Privacy Policy and PREVIEW. The bad guys (David Harbour and Adam David Thompson) introduced at the outset are very bad, indeed. "A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014) - Box Office Mojo", "Watch: Liam Neeson Takes 'A Walk Among The Tombstones' In Trailer For Action Thriller", "A Walk Among the Tombstones - Movie Page", "Why Liam Neeson Movies Are A Guaranteed Success At The Box Office", "Liam Neeson's 'A Walk Among the Tombstones' will be huge", "Liam Neeson Takes 'A Walk Among The Tombstones' In Production Deal with Exclusive Media and Cross Creek Pictures", "Production Begins on Scott Frank's A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES Starring Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, and Ruth Wilson", "Liam Neeson Takes 'Walk Among the Tombstones', "A Walk Among the Tombstones Production Update", "Saw #AWalkAmongTheTombstones today. Because this is actually more of a gumshoe investigators tale, a gritty cop-turned-unlicensed-detective story (based on a rough-and-tumble Lawrence Block novel). *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. That was pretty cool. Fortunately when the call is made, the killers are out of the van in the pouring rain. and the Parents, get practical information from a biblical worldview to help guide media decisions for your kids! Matt Follows Loogan. But when he understands the depth of the murderers depravity and the inevitability that theyll kill again and again he knows he has no choice. Private investigator Matthew Scudder is hired by a drug kingpin to find out who kidnapped and murdered his wife. A Walk Among the Tombstones. Two armed men come in and kill the bartender. What saves him is that he doesnt preach. [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. There is also a large portion of Scudders detective work in the book that involves utilizing a pair of hackers to get into NYNEX (with laptops, external modems, and acoustic couplers if you want to get an idea of how technologically ancient Blocks book is) to uncover phone logs for him, which Frank rightly jettisons, as its a lot of tech talk and not that cinematic. If you know me by now though, there is always the skepticism of being let down by the actual film. And as the book closes, Kenan/Kenny leaves the country to start a new life abroad, in another segment of the familys illegal businesses around the world. Which is ironic if you know what Im talking about. He seemed very human, and didn't even want to handle this case to begin with. Drake, Usher, and Burna Boy to Headline J. Coles Dreamville Festival. For while this R-rated and often dour flick doesnt applaud violence, it certainly crams lots of it in. Cinemark [20] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. [21], Richard Roeper gave the film a B+ rating, calling the film "a stylish and smart thriller". Albert betrays the wounded Ray by strangling him to death with a metal wire while in the basement. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Ray is shot, he begs Albert to treat his wounds. ", "Box Office: 'Maze Runner' Off To Good Start With $1.1M, 'Tombstones' Takes In $480K Late Night Numbers", "Box Office: 'Maze Runner' Sprints To $11.25M, 30+ Weekend", "Box Office: 'Maze Runner' Races To $32.5M Weekend, Kevin Smith's 'Tusk' Bombs", "Box Office FINAL: 'Maze Runner' Finds $32.5M; Liam's 'Walk' Limps In With $12.7M; 'Where I Leave You,' $11.5M", "Film Review:'A Walk Among the Tombstones', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Walk_Among_the_Tombstones_(film)&oldid=1142235352, Rotten Tomatoes template using name parameter, Articles with MusicBrainz release group identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 07:11. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". Ray is a smug sadist while Albert is an emotionless sociopath. 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. Unavailable on an ad-supported plan due to licensing restrictions. [10], Filming began on March 3, 2013 in New York City. Kenny tells Scudder that his wife was kidnapped and her kidnappers demanded a ransom. Liam Neeson brilliant as Scudder, Scott Frank script and direction tops. A girl and her drug-dealing boyfriend snort coke. Synopsis: Based on Lawrence Blocks bestselling series of mystery novels, A Walk among the Tombstones stars Liam Neeson as Matt Scudder, an ex-NYPD cop who now works as an unlicensed private investigator operating just outside the law. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. The movie ends on a more hopeful note than the novel, with Matt coming back from killing Albert to see TJ asleep and having drawn a version of himself as a superhero with a sickle emblem on his outfit - a reference to his sickle cell anemia. Most dates on his world tour have been canceled. Heres what went down. Hed rather recite AAs 12 steps and humbly ask God to remove his shortcomings than try to violently purge the defects from others. This version was also released on DVD/Blu-ray. Padraig has been writing about film online since 2012, when a friend asked if he'd like to contribute the occasional review or feature to their site. Matt walks into a bar and downs two shots. 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