Film: "Run All Night"; Cast: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris, Joel Kinnaman,
Robert Boyd Holbrook, Genesis Rodriguez, Common, Vincent D'Onofrio, Holt
McCallany and Beau Knapp; Director: Jaume Collet-Serra; Rating: ***
"One
night is all I am asking for," a father pleading to his son, to correct
all the wrongs he has done, forms the heart of this well-executed,
fractured mobster tale.
"Run All Night" is about revenge and blood bonds between mobster fathers and their sons.
This
is a typical Liam Neeson action-packed thriller. He essays the role of
Jimmy Conlon, a mobster's handyman with a set of skills, many secrets,
demons and failures, who is out to protect his estranged son Michael
(Joel Kinnaman) from his friend-cum-boss, Shawn Maguire (Ed Harris).
In
the well-knitted plot, Shawn's ruthlessly ambitious son Danny (Robert
Boyd Holbrook) runs foul with a drug-dealing group of mobsters and as
fate intertwines his life with Michael's, Jimmy is forced to kill Danny
and a couple of corrupt police officers.
Shawn seeks revenge. He sends his men to execute Michael, but Jimmy ensures that his son is safe. So, they run all night long.
This
may be the usual grim mobster and corrupt police film, but the
well-paced, taut plot keeps you on the edge with the complex dynamics
between the characters and their shared history which is adroitly put
together by screenwriter Brad Ingelsby.
Jaume Collet-Serra, who
had earlier directed Neeson in "Unknown" and "Non-Stop", draws the best
out of him as the melancholic, concerned and protective father, Jimmy
Conlon.
Neeson, compared to his roles in the "Taken" series, is
brilliant here. His measured equation with Ed Harris and Kinnaman is
noteworthy.
With his knitted brows and brooding expression,
Kinnaman, lives the character of Michael as the son who is constantly
rebuking his father's decisions. The contrast is even more evident when
he is affectionate to his wife Gabriela (Genesis Rodriguez), daughters
and neighbourhood children who he mentors, bringing depth to his
character as the resenting son.
As for Ed Harris, with his
non-aggressive, yet tough and inflexible demeanour, he is a perfect
match for Neeson. And his seething, "Don't talk to me about my son," to
Neeson reveals the pain he is withholding.
The others, who aptly
support the cast are Vincent D'Onofrio as the police detective and
Common as Shawn's new hitman. They are the raison de-etre for Jimmy's
exposition.
The all-night action that includes car chases,
shooting, and fight sequence in a burning apartment are vividly
showcased by cinematographer Martin Ruhe. His frames in low light
conditions beautifully capture the shots, making the cinematography
worth a mention.
Overall, this film will appeal to all Neeson fans and is worth a watc
