Directed By Robert Lorenz

Starring – Liam Neeson, Kerry Condon, Jack Gleeson

The Plot – Ireland, 1970s. Eager to leave his dark past behind, Finbar Murphy (Neeson) leads a quiet life in the remote coastal town of Glencolmcille, far from the political violence that grips the rest of the country. But when a menacing crew of terrorists arrive, led by a ruthless woman named Doirean (Condon), Finbar is drawn into an increasingly vicious game of cat and mouse, forcing him to choose between exposing his secret identity or defending his friends and neighbors.

Rated R for violence, and adult language throughout.

In the Land of Saints and Sinners – Official Trailer (2024) Liam Neeson (youtube.com)

POSITIVES

It’s been a while since a Liam Neeson action movie has captivated me, but “In the Land of Saints and Sinners” offers some refreshing deviations from preconceived expectations that not only affords Neeson the creative freedom from roles that have become interchangeably stale to this point, but also feeds vividly to the capabilities of Lorenz, who conjures his most ambitiously compelling production to date. Almost ironically, the film sees Neeson for the aged veteran that he currently is, keeping Finbar far from impossible feats and overwhelming odds of Neeson’s previous films, that he typically conquers with ease, and instead using years of experience in the depths of his character to advocate away from violent means to ends, as a result of his time in the war that changed him, as mentioned. This reflective irony into real life deems Neeson perfect for the role, with weary nobility by the dozens, but beyond that drives him passionately towards a stoic performance that is elevated by the heart and humanity that he candidly supplants to the role, all while playing opposite of his single greatest antagonist to date, in the form of Kerry Condon. As to where Neeson’s charms and honor are the measures that make him an ideal protagonist, even in the depths of morality that is anything but perfect, Condon’s Doirean is the polar opposite, plunging into the deepest, darkest depths of ruthlessness that commands respect and attention inside of every room she dominates, all with precision to fiery delivery that made me effortlessly buy into the magnitude of her devious promises, especially as an antagonist who is willing to quite literally die for her causes. Condon irrefutibly plays a traditional villain in every sense of the word, but one who is layered with motivation and pride towards feeling captivating, and while Condon did receive an Oscar nomination for her work in “The Banshees of Inisherin”, her work here is simply the best of her career, and you can quote me on that. Neeson and Condon are rounded out by memorable supporting turns from Ciaran Hinds, Colm Meaney, and especially Gleeson, who measures a character who could easily be written off as a psychopath and nothing more, if not for the redeeming nobility that he carries towards his peers, affording him the capability of stealing a scene or two, each time Condon is away from the focus of the fray. As for Lorenz, his rendering of Ireland is one of such impressive insight and articulation that I still find it difficult to believe that he wasn’t born there, especially in the grips of a small town feel where even the smallest specifities are brought to life. Between a real lived-in brand of authenticity for interactions, featuring Irish jargon so thickly cryptic that they occasionally required me to Google their meanings, as well as combining the beauty, brutality and loneliness of the landscape, there’s a connective sense of community from everybody knowing everyone’s business, crafting an urgency factor for big things happening in small towns that helps to alleviate the pressure from some of the slowburn storytelling that won’t be for everyone. Likewise, the production values really help to immerse you in the geographic relevance of the story, with stirring sentiments of score and spellbinding imagery seamlessly permeating the essence of Irish culture. On the former, a trio of Baldenweg siblings; Diego, Lionel and Nora, use string instrumentals to coincide with the stakes and tragic factors that influence the film’s emotional dexterity, complete with abstract sensibilties intensifying the complexities behind every tensely urgent situation. Combine this with Tom Stern’s breathtaking photography among Ireland’s evergreen countrysides, with intoxicating 2.39:1 framing so thoroughly defined that you can practically smell it, and you have irreplacable value for on-site influence in location that feels like a character of its own throughout the movie, especially with how the small town vibes that Lorenz and his production properly channels feel so distinct to the air of its appeal. Lastly, while the film is classified as an action film, the reality of its usage is actually quite bare, requiring more time and emphasis towards developing the characterization and storytelling inside of a slowburn that never feels tedium or restlessness as a result of this desire. When the action is sparsely used, it matters so much more, building the tension accordingly towards a third act climax that, while navigated the way we would expect, doesn’t leave it feeling any less impactful, with the combustible elements of Neeson and Condon enveloped in a psychological chess game that I simply couldn’t get enough of.

NEGATIVES

While the entirety of the 101 minute run time is dedicated to the air of its slowburn storytelling, the first act of the movie contrasts these eventual realities with rushed motivations and conventional characterizations that might prove confrontational for their initial investments. For my money, the antagonist side of things gets displaced for longer than I would’ve appreciated, especially after their initial impacts left me curious of their motivations for such a life-altering circumstance, leaving them dejected towards feeling like just another terrorist organization in cinema, at least before Condon is given ample time to sway the audience with impeccable delivery. Because the script remains alongside Neeson for roughly 90% of the run time, the allowance of exposition for his adversaries never conjures anything meaningful to fruitfully render their cause, and it soon becomes obvious how one-dimensional their outlines are illustrated, even if it’s not exactly consequential towards the integrity of their conflict. Equally non-existent is the ignorance established with the particular place in time of Ireland during the 1970’s, which bares little to no meaningful impact in the depths of a story that refuses to pursue it. Frequently throughout my engagement, I kept waiting for some kind of significance that signified the framing, especially in that the 70’s are often looked at as a time of turmoil for Europe as a whole, but no ties of connection were ever firmly established, wasting away the merits of the setting that could’ve produced something deeper in the depths of the social commentary, but instead remain sacrificially shallow. Finally, even in a film with very few action sequences, horrendously ugly and artificial looking C.G finds its way into the integrity of the movie’s special effects, crafting inadvertant laughter and cheap appeal among explosions that undercut the magnitude of their devastation. One such explosion during the high stakes climax did involve bodies, so I can understand the intention to suppress risk during that particular sequence, however the other didn’t involve sacrificial stunt work, so at the very least flames could’ve sold a greater cost the property that it sprung from, in turn appraising intensity as a means towards a greater value of vulnerability towards the characters.

OVERALL
“In the Land of Saints and Sinners” breeds Irish authenticity in every frame and conversation but becomes particularly conductive in the unrelenting rivalry between two of its own, in Neeson and Condon, who serve as the fuel to the proverbial fire that burns in such a beautifully isolated place. Despite the limitations in characterization and thematic impulses, which feel practically non-existent, the film is a familiar western set in an unfamiliar place, where combustible characters inevitably clash to cause a catastrophic impact.

My Grade: 7/10 or B-