A friend and I were discussing actor Liam Neeson the other day.  Still going strong at more than 70, Neeson is an actor who lends an unmistakable gravitas and believability to the characters he portrays.  Often the scripts he chooses do not his acting prowess justice but when he makes a movie he makes it better.  This is certainly the case with In the Land of Saints and Sinners, a crime drama set in Northern Ireland in 1974, back when that area was a rather dangerous place to live.

Robert Lorenz’ story follows reluctant enforcer Finbar Murphy (Liam Neeson), who, after one particularly poignant killing, decides to retire.  But his efforts to enjoy life a bit more and blend in with his Irish neighbors goes awry with the arrival of a quartet of violent activists from Belfast.  One thing leads to another and soon they are looking for him, and he is looking for them.  Will the little village survive?  Not without some big bruises.

This is the kind of thing that Neeson could do in his sleep — and probably has.  To the filmmakers’ credit, this drama is more than a standard potboiler.  It is played as realistically as possible (although one would think any hitman in that remote area would be fairly easy to identify, there being so few people around).  The most vivid performance is given by Kerry Condon as the leader of the quartet of bombers, a woman who serves her cause above all else.  Location filming, wry humor, respect for the locals and Finbar’s strong moral compass provide this drama with unexpected power.

But not everything works.  Finbar has an unexpected ally, and that presence is off-kilter enough to remain mysterious and enigmatic and a bit confusing.  I think that character would improve on repeat viewings but I was never sure of their trustworthiness.  And Finbar’s relationship with his buddy the local constable (Ciarán Hinds) fails to hold up to close scrutiny, or at least it did, for me, after the movie was done.  Having said that, I generally feel this is pretty solid drama, one of the better more recent efforts that Mr. Neeson has produced.  It’s certainly worth a viewing.  ☆ ☆ 1/2.  24 November 2024.