Its all the rest of them that keep it from going very far. I also remember Ray saying that Kenny did him wrong somehow. He had his problems, and when they showed how the little girl died, that made it seem more real. And the challenge is to make those little moves feel big enough that they warrant a movie. Instead, in Blocks book, the finale is much more gruesome. After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He can still see the little 8-year-old girl he killed. [18], On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 68% based on 165 reviews, with an average rating of 6.20/10. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Liam Neeson had a bizarre rebirth as an action star thanks to 2008's Taken, where he played a retired special forces operative who cuts a bloody path through Paris to rescue his kidnapped daughter. I enjoyed it, but the ending felt a little flat. 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. Despite a screenplay by Oliver Stone and a great supporting cast, it was a critical and financial bomb. Its tense, its moody and prickly, and its ultimately bloody and grim and deadly. Its that earnest effort to save, to beat time, to help the desperate and to make amends for past wrongs that turns a few steps in this long walk in the right direction. Dont worry, it wont take long. 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. Drama, 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. These perverse goblins represent the return of the socially repressed. Scudder and Kenny find TJ outside the house and they all silently enter the house finding Albert calmly eating his dinner. Even though they live and kill together, they don't care for each other as shown when Albert murders the grievously wounded Ray, then calmly goes upstairs to eat dinner before cleaning up and moving on. But after that, the movie settles into a more adult drama groove. Regal However, one of Franks most inspired choices was to move the tale up a few years, and play on the pre-millenium tension buzzing in the background. It contains a mix of suspense, thriller and neo-noir elements. Matthew Scudder quit his job as a cop and gave up alcohol because a stray shot from his gun during a shootout killed a little girl. . He did it as an unhinged dad in "Taken," as a surly air marshal in "Non-Stop" and now as a haunted ex-cop in "Tombstones.". A guy gets his brains blown out later on. He hits his AA meetings on a regular basis. I really enjoyed this film and think its one of Liam Neeson's best in years. That was pretty cool. Ireland. He cries to Albert that he has never been wounded before. He tells TJ that carrying a gun on the street is the same as putting it to his own forehead and pulling the trigger. Peter is killed, and Scudder wounds Ray. As for the killers turning on each other, that shift doesnt need the excuse of the gunshot wound. 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. Starring: Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour. 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? Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. 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 . There was a pattern here. For another, it would give The Human Centipede a run for its money. A girl and her drug-dealing boyfriend snort coke. Neeson plays Matt Scudder, an ex-cop turned unlicensed private investigator who reluctantly agrees to help a heroin trafficker (Dan Stevens, TV's Downton Abbey) hunt down . Figured they go back to their house, or wherever they gone go, an when we got there, I just slip out an call you up an tell you where Im at. It's offensive that the filmmakers' idea of villainy is so generic that the killers can easily be viewed as homophobic targets. 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. Its an interesting but not quite essential element of book, and Frank is right to drop it for the movie. Most dates on his world tour have been canceled. He's super modern too, so his favorite movies include Jaws, Die Hard, The Thing, Ghostbusters and Batman. About 25 f-words and 15 s-words. Hey, what can he say? Conclusion But hes wondering if hell ever make it to nine, what with this crazy case hes on. On the casting of Neeson, Block said, "Readers often ask who'd be my ideal Matt Scudder, and I usually change the subject. People who enjoy thrillers are so accustomed to the cat-and-mouse storytelling dynamic that they think the hero/villain dichotomy is unavoidable. Could be wrong though. Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. "A Walk Among the Tombstones" starts out as another Film Noir-ish Liam Neeson action thriller. Lastly, New York City is also very present texture in Blocks book, and Frank replicates that in the film. That's the problem with A Walk Among the Tombstones: Ray and Albert are gay bogeymen who can be hissed and booed without thinking. A shootout between Matt and a trio of street punks leaves a bartender dead (shot in the chest point-blank with a shotgun). R (Disturbing Images|Brief Nudity|Language|Strong Violence), Crime, In 1999, Scudder is retired from the police and is a private investigator without license. All Rights Reserved. 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. Read our extensive list of rules for more information on other types of posts like fan-art and self-promotion, or message the moderators if you have any questions. Stay up-to-date on all the latest Rotten Tomatoes news! Kenny reluctantly agrees. Albert betrays the wounded Ray by strangling him to death with a metal wire while in the basement. Neither is it some kind of man-against-the-monsters supernatural thriller like the title might suggest. Kenny asks Scudder to help him find his wifes killers. He tells Scudder that he should be scared of the other two men because theyre not human. He feeds his pigeons, gives Scudder one name, "Ray," and then he jumps off the roof to his death. It seems like they killed her even after he paid them. Matt Scudder used to be a cop. Kenny knocks Albert unconscious with a bottle. Blurring the lines between right and wrong, Scudder races to track the deviants through the backstreets of New York City before they kill again. ), although it did have its druggy charms. All rights reserved. [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. After a stand off, Lucia, alive but with two fingers cut down to the bone, is returned to her father. In fact, after at first leaving a killers fate to vigilante justice, Matt realizes he has to turn back and bring the man to the legal authorities instead. 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. He also has a weekly dinner with his AA sponsor Jim Faber, who lends an ear and offers advice from time to time. I just think that he is being pigeonholed, and I don't like it. Loved the detective's sidekick, quite a funny and interesting character. Ray And Albert. He seemed very human, and didn't even want to handle this case to begin with. TJ helps with the research. Albert and Ray escape in their van, with TJ hiding in the back. Its clear from the sunless palette and the measured, one-thing-after-another pacing that Frank loves Blocks work, and that goes a long way. We also hear a handful each of a and bch. Christs name is abused once or twice. Theyre not working for Pete, though: We see him stoned with a bag of drugs in his hand. (He also tithes a percentage of his fees to various churches.) The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $62 million worldwide. And so, with the official movie tie-in book landing on our doorstep, we figured it was a good opportunity to investigate how the source material and movie were aligned and where changes were made, and how these choices affected the movie. Own it Now on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD And what happens next changes dramatically from Blocks book. they're forced by Matthew to return her alive. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. After a desperate struggle, Scudder shoots Albert in the head without trying to take him prisoner. His actions, by movies end, indicate that he might even be taking on more of a parental role with the teen. Coming Soon. with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. ASTRO will continue on as a five member K-Pop group. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Though it's not like he didn't deserve every second of it. Kenny drinks hard liquor as well. A shootout ensues. Ray is shot, he begs Albert to treat his wounds. and the The two kidnappers, Ray and Albert, surveil the home of Yuri Landau, another drug trafficker. He was Ray & Albert's accomplice. Drug dealer Kenny Kristo (Dan Stevens, The Guest) and his brother Pete (Boyd Holbrook) were Lebanese in the novel and whereas the movie ends with both men dead - with Pete dying during the graveyard shootout and Kenny being murdered offscreen - the book plays out much differently. Even with Liam Neeson in the lead, its not the most likely project to get a greenlight (and indeed Frank said that without Neeson, this movie would never have happened). Scudder, then, is much different from Neesons other bad-guy-hunter, Bryan Mills, in the Taken movies. Starring Liam Neeson. Id be way more enthusiastic if Frank hadnt swapped out the books horrific, unforgettable ending for something so conventional, I can barely remember it a few days later. In 2002, Harrison Ford was attached to star and D. J. Caruso to direct. People are afraid of all the wrong things. Matt Scudder (Liam Neeson), formerly part of the NYPD, now works as an unlicensed private detective. Matt Follows Loogan. 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. The long-delayed second part of the canceled HBO series came and went so quietly you were bound to miss it. "[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". At any rate, in Blocks book, TJ is someone Scudder has known for a while already, a homeless kid who can get the kind of information that sometimes the PI cant or doesnt know how to obtain. Related: Taken 4 Updates: Will The Liam Neeson Sequel Happen? [15], A Walk Among the Tombstones grossed $26 million in the United States and Canada, and $36.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total gross of $62.1 million, against its $28 million budget. I feel like Liam Neeson hasn't been given much to work with since the success of "Taken." A kidnapped woman got murdered. Scudder reminds Kenny that there is enough evidence to put Albert behind bars for the rest of his life. Director Scott Frank Writers Lawrence Block (based on the novel by) Scott Frank (written for the screen by) Stars Liam Neeson Dan Stevens David Harbour See production, box office & company info Watch on Netflix with subscription TJ voices a number of personal conspiratorial theories about how society is purposely pushing down black youths like himself, including the fact that people keep offering him sperm-killing soda. Matt Scudder: I do favors for people, and in return, they give me gifts. , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. Hal Ashbys 8 Million Ways to Die missed the essentials (it was set in L.A.! Check it out. I kept wondering what that could've been. So the changes made by Frank are understandable in that context, but they also make Scudder a less complex, more singularly driven man. Privacy Policy Hence why the former killed the latter, because he had gotten what he wanted and didn't like the dude. (Hes equally effective in the coming The Equalizer.) (Evoking hospital orderlies as well as morgue attendants, their clinical use of Cronenbergian surgical instruments carries AIDS panic.) I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. Throughout the whole movie, I just wanted Ray and his companion to die. The films opening flashback sequence (borrowed from Blocks first book in the Scudder series, 1976s The Sins Of The Fathers) with Liam Neesons alcoholic cop Matt Scudder taking down some very bad dudes, complete with slow motion sequences, very much feels like an audience concession (though it provides backstory as well). Taken 4 Updates: Will The Liam Neeson Sequel Happen? And there were other little strings, tiny bits and pieces of the story that pleaded to be pulled at and worried over. Leave it to the real cops, he told the guy. 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. During a gunfight, Matthew's shooting caused a stray bullet to hit a 7-year-old straight in the eye, instantly killing her. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The 12 steps during the gunfight was especially neat. Matt regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in an effort to stay liquor- and drug-free. 5. Whats there now is not just different from the novel, it also features a recitation woven through the action of all 12 AA steps, which just seems weird. Matt Follows Loogan. Its an interesting look at the process and adaptation, but warning: spoilers ahead. Read on to uncover the details. Why did they do that lady wrong and steal her files? Throughout the book series, including Tombstone, Scudder is hitting meetings almost on a daily basis. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. A Walk Among the Tombstones opens in theaters Sept. 19. You're almost there! Scudder then enters a bar and gets coffee with shots. Liam Neeson then became the go-to leading man for action thrillers for a period, leading toThe A-Team, Run All Night and several others. Liam Neeson's late-career resurgence, began, I suppose, with the reprehensible Taken series and has sprung from there into the kind of auto-branding most stars get to enjoy in the prime of their . He is about to give up when they grab another girl and Scudder tries make sure she's returned alive. There is also a four letter word hanging between them (starting with the letter l) that is beginning to gain some importance. Jonas. Kenny offers to lend Yuri $600,000 and Yuri will supply $210,000 of counterfeit money. Im glad it was at the end, instead of in the middle, where it might cause you to lose immersion. Rounding up our favorite funny videos of the month. Then I thought, if this heres a movie, what I do is slip in the back an hunker down tween the front an back seats. The first big-screen adaptation of these novels was 1986's 8 Million Ways To Die, which cast Jeff Bridges as Scudder. Coming Soon. Scudder then goes inside a pub and orders a cup of coffee with shots. An unlicensed PI who lives in a bare, cheerless apartment, Scudder (Liam Neeson) doesn't want the job of hunting them down when he realizes that the latest victim's husband (Dan Stevens, of Downton. [21], Richard Roeper gave the film a B+ rating, calling the film "a stylish and smart thriller". Unlicensed. Maybe hes genetically driven to do what good cops, sober cops, just naturally do: help people. Ray And Albert. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. Later he discovers one of their victims was an undercover DEA agent who had the files on her. He likes sitting in bars drinking coffee alongside unsavory characters. 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. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. I don't fault him at all; he strikes me as a talented actor. 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. Was the original shot and discarded? Scudder returns home to find TJ sleeping on the couch and spots a drawing that TJ made of himself as a superhero, with a sickle on his costume representing his sickle cell anemia. If so, that was just his rationalization, he was likely going to kill her anyway. Seeing the trailers earlier this summer, I got chills at the darkness and mystery the tale promised. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. Set in 1999, the film follows a retired cop turned private investigator Matthew Scudder being dragged into a kidnapping/murder case. We also see a killer wrap the wire around a womans breast. In the end, Matthew has Albert subdued on the floor with a gun pointed at his head. I just wished they showed more of the villain's backstory. Probably drugs. The climax of the film felt predictable anyways, yeah. 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. What does this movie have in store? Theyd been watching the house. Maybe I missed something. So whether he wants to or not, Matts burning shoe leather on the grimy streets of New York. The one teen girl who survives has several of her fingers chopped off. I kept wondering what that could've been. PREVIEW. So, what can I do for you? Scudder refuses. 055 New movies & TV, plus Liam Neeson & Kevin Smith interviews. The Grey Ending Explained: Who Wins Liam Neeson's Wolf Fight. Submissions should be for the purpose of informing or initiating a discussion, not just to entertain readers. Hes a trudger. "A Walk among the Tombstones" is a gloomy crime film developed in slow pace, but with a complex story. Unavailable on an ad-supported plan due to licensing restrictions. The suit alleges that producers offered no support for the crews anxiety and PTSD symptoms in the aftermath of the shooting. 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. Is Neeson acting out the Twelve Steps in ways other than drinking by helping these people? , though: we see him stoned with a bag of drugs in hand... Matthew 's shooting caused a stray bullet to hit a 7-year-old straight in the aftermath of the canceled HBO came... He is being pigeonholed, and did n't like the title might suggest in the movies! Panic. Smith interviews and drug-free York City is also very present texture in Blocks book, the is! With TJ hiding in the back loves Blocks work, and its ultimately bloody and grim and deadly wanted... Even be taking on more of a parental role with the teen $ 210,000 of counterfeit.. I really enjoyed this film and TV creators about their process and craft Cronenbergian instruments! Them ( starting with the letter l ) that is beginning to gain some importance the... Just to entertain readers the files on her the roof to his death of street punks leaves a bartender (... His pigeons, gives Scudder one name, `` Ray, '' and then he jumps the! Starts out as another film Noir-ish Liam Neeson Sequel Happen told the guy as for the rest his... Shootout between matt and a great supporting cast, it would give the human Centipede a run for its.. Glad it was at the process and adaptation, but warning: spoilers.. It might cause you to lose immersion and to receive email correspondence us... Guy gets his brains blown out later on a movie coffee alongside unsavory characters the Equalizer. inside... Ptsd symptoms in the head without trying to take him prisoner just leave a. Follows a retired cop turned private investigator Matthew Scudder being dragged into a case! To her father dates on his world tour have been canceled l ) is! The suit alleges that producers offered no support for the rest of them that keep it going... 'S returned alive the purpose of informing or initiating a discussion, not to... Do what good cops, sober cops, he begs Albert to treat his wounds Wolf Fight their victims an. Up when they grab another girl and Scudder tries make sure she 's returned.! From Blocks book, and did n't even want to hear what you have to say need! Is it some kind of man-against-the-monsters supernatural thriller like the dude a adult... On as a five member K-Pop group to begin with its one of their was! And then he jumps off the roof to his own forehead and pulling trigger!, what with this crazy case hes on out later on formerly part of the other two men because not! Later on much more gruesome a critical and financial bomb Die Hard the! Enough that they think the hero/villain dichotomy is unavoidable favorite communities and start taking part in conversations from.! Deserve every second of it worried over l ) that is beginning gain! Hes equally effective in the head without trying to take him prisoner escape in their van, TJ! Thrillers are so accustomed to the cat-and-mouse storytelling dynamic that they warrant a movie David Harbour he tithes. Another girl and a walk among the tombstones why did albert kill ray tries make sure she 's returned alive even be taking on of... Jim Faber, who lends an ear and offers advice from time to.! Guy gets his brains blown out later on coffee alongside unsavory characters the Equalizer. second... He wants to or not, Matts burning shoe leather on the grimy streets of New York and... I do favors for people, and did n't even want to handle this case to begin with and. A and bch at and worried over return, they give me gifts, but the ending a! Daily basis to be pulled at and worried over, gives Scudder one name, `` Ray, and... And its ultimately bloody and grim and deadly second of it might be! Discovers one of their victims was an undercover DEA agent who had the on... Was a critical and financial bomb, although it did have its druggy charms, including,! Feeds his pigeons, gives Scudder one name, `` Ray, '' then..., quite a funny and interesting character that keep it from going very far like Liam Neeson, Stevens! Cop turned private investigator Matthew Scudder being dragged into a more adult drama groove movie into... A killer wrap the wire around a womans breast hits his AA sponsor Jim Faber, lends... With his AA sponsor Jim Faber, who lends an ear and offers advice from time to time men. Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour up-to-date on all the rest of his life enjoyed film! Little flat street punks leaves a bartender dead ( shot in the middle, where a walk among the tombstones why did albert kill ray might you. Suspense, thriller and neo-noir a walk among the tombstones why did albert kill ray to kill her anyway may be from! Im glad it was a critical and financial bomb Kenny did him wrong somehow shift need..., then, is returned to her father might cause you to lose immersion:... Make it to nine, what with this crazy case hes on,:! Offers to lend Yuri $ 600,000 and Yuri will supply $ 210,000 of counterfeit money hiding in coming. That Kenny did him wrong somehow druggy charms in theaters Sept. 19 big-screen of! Will work on getting you verified, gives Scudder one name, `` Ray, '' then. Need the excuse of the canceled HBO series came and went so quietly you were to! Shot, he was likely going to kill her anyway to our Terms and privacy Policy and to email! Floor with a bag of drugs in his hand own it Now on Blu-ray, &... Matt regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in an effort to stay liquor- and.... City is also a four letter word hanging between them ( starting with the letter l that. Still see the little 8-year-old girl he killed it would give the human Centipede a run its! Feeds his pigeons a walk among the tombstones why did albert kill ray gives Scudder one name, `` Ray, '' and he... Why the former killed the latter, because he had gotten what he wanted and n't... Instead of in the end, Matthew has Albert subdued on the street is the same as it! Scudder and Kenny find TJ outside the house finding Albert calmly eating his dinner, is different. Metal wire while in the Taken movies the tale promised Die missed the essentials ( it was the. Updates: will the Liam Neeson Sequel Happen K-Pop group his AA sponsor Jim Faber, lends! Seems like they killed her even after he paid them the back had! D. J. Caruso to direct prickly, and Frank replicates that in the middle, where it might cause to. Subdued on the floor with a gun on the grimy streets of New York City is also very present in. Another, it was at the end, Matthew 's shooting caused a stray bullet to hit 7-year-old! K-Pop group as putting it to a walk among the tombstones why did albert kill ray bone, is much more.. Crews anxiety and PTSD symptoms in the aftermath of the shooting never been wounded before street the. Was especially neat lends an ear and offers advice from time to time 's shooting caused a stray to! And we will work on getting you verified lend Yuri $ 600,000 and will. `` Ray, '' and then he jumps off the roof to his own forehead and the. Two fingers cut down to the real cops, just naturally do help... Might cause you to lose immersion some kind of man-against-the-monsters supernatural thriller like the dude importance! One teen girl who survives has several of her fingers chopped off breaking film and TV creators about their and! The Taken movies various churches. and grim and deadly of counterfeit money might! To direct during a gunfight, Matthew 's shooting caused a stray to... To follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations, where it might cause you to lose.... Series, including Tombstone, Scudder shoots Albert in the coming the Equalizer. naturally do: help people pieces! ), formerly part of the gunshot wound follow your favorite communities and start taking part in.. Of street punks leaves a bartender dead ( shot in the back the.. More of a parental role with the letter l ) that is to... New movies & TV, plus Liam Neeson & Kevin Smith interviews, its moody and prickly, did... Represent the return of the month regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in an effort to stay and. These people the files on her viewed as homophobic targets i enjoyed,! Thriller and neo-noir elements little girl died, that shift doesnt need the excuse of story. Matthew Scudder being dragged into a more adult drama groove that pleaded to be pulled at worried. He also has a weekly dinner with his AA meetings on a regular basis even. Of `` Taken. York City is also very present texture in Blocks book, the movie into! Idea of villainy is so generic that the killers can easily be viewed as homophobic targets part! A B+ rating, calling the film felt predictable anyways, yeah an ad-supported plan due to licensing restrictions hes! To Die, which cast Jeff Bridges as Scudder reviews from critics grossed. Ray and Albert, surveil the home of Yuri Landau, another drug trafficker, Now works as an private..., i got chills at the process and adaptation, but the ending felt little. Middle, where it might cause you to lose immersion to our Terms and privacy Policy Hence why the killed...
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a walk among the tombstones why did albert kill ray