Damn it! Just when I was ready to put this movie down as another Neeson Taken wannabe the trailer takes me to a place I desperately want to be. In the Land of Saints and Sinners from director Robert Lorenz sees Liam Neeson in his native Ireland as a hitman named Finbar Murphy. After a lifetime of killing and all manner of other sins he’s ready to hang it up and show the world another side of him. Unfortunately, as you can probably guess, his past has other ideas as it comes back to haunt him. The past, in this case, takes the shape of a bad ass and compelling Kerry Condon.
While I don’t think this is going to be an Oscan nominated film I do think it feels alot like a return to form for Neeson, and honestly a place where he seems to fit. I don’t have an issue with him taking action based roles but if he does they should do two things; 1. Be Believable and 2. Showcase the man’s talent. I feel like it’s been so long since we’ve seen a true Liam Neeson performance, and this feels just like that.
In case your wondering where you know that long haired brunette man with the thin mustache is, well friends that would be none other then Joffery Baratheon himself, Jack Gleeson, in his return to film.
In the Land of Saints and Sinners premiers tomorrow, September 6th, 2023 at the Venice Film Festival and will be distributed by Netflix shortly thereafter.
Official Synopsis:
In a remote Irish village, a damaged Finbar is forced to fight for redemption after a lifetime of sins, but what price is he willing to pay? In the land of saints and sinners, some sins can’t be buried.
