28/38
Thug: Were you born without a filter?
An aging gangster tries to reconnect with his sons and rectify the mistakes of his past, but the criminal underworld won’t let up willingly. Liam Neeson began boxing at age 9 and boxed at an amateur level until he was 17. The doctor diagnosed Liam Neeson’s character with CTE. A definitive diagnosis of CTE can only be made by examining brain tissue after a person has died. This diagnosis should have been presumptive and other options and possible treatments explored.
References Jurski Park (1993)
Or something you had to work at? Lucky Number Written by Lene Lovich, Les Chappell (as Leslie Chappell) Performed by Lene Lovich Licensed courtesy of Oval Music and Oval Sounds (PRS). On the surface, “Absolution” seems like an amalgamation of every Liam Neeson movie that has been released in the past five years; The plot feels especially familiar: IMDb describes it as a story about “an aging gangster trying to reconnect with his sons and rectify the mistakes of his past, but the criminal underworld won’t let them off the hook.” If that doesn’t sound like classic Neeson territory, then I don’t know what does. He’s once again a grizzled, weary man who’s seen too much, done too much, and now wants to atone. There’s the tense backdrop of the criminal underworld, the looming specter of revenge, and a narrative that delves into the bruised and broken relationships left in the wake of his violent past.
Neeson’s character is no longer the invincible force audiences have come to expect
Add to that the fact that Neeson’s character is dealing with dementia-like symptoms, and you’d be forgiven for thinking “Absolution” is actually a spiritual successor to 2023’s “Memory.” The difference lies in the fact that, unlike some of Neeson’s previous roles, “Absolution” is actually a spiritual successor to 2023’s “Memory.” takes a different approach: Instead of focusing on gunfights and chase scenes, this film leans into the emotional weight of Neeson’s character; it’s less about physical battles and more about the inner struggle of a man haunted by his own legacy. It’s as if Neeson’s typical action hero persona has aged along with him, evolving from a man who solves problems with his fists to one who confronts the intangible scars he’s inflicted over the years. Neeson isn’t just a man with “a particular set of skills” this time; he’s a man tormented by regret, desperately seeking redemption. And while the setup may be familiar, “Absolution” aims to explore the emotional depths of his character, adding layers of introspection that set him apart from his recent action-packed roles. He is vulnerable, flawed, and forced to confront the pain he has caused others, especially his own family.
And for some, this may be disturbing
This is not just another revenge story, it is a story about confronting one’s past and the possible impossibility of true redemption when the damage is so deep. That being said, and I cannot stress this enough, “Absolution” is not an action movie, as much as the trailer wants to convince you that it is. There are about sixty (60) seconds of total action in this movie, and it is all fast, direct, and without any twists. Every moment of violence is brief, deliberate, and almost shocking in its abruptness. Someone gets punched, maybe shot, possibly stabbed, and then it is over.
And you know what?
After all, Neeson has almost made a career out of playing the tough guy who is as quick with his fists as he is with the trigger. “Absolution” takes a step back and focuses on the man instead of the action. It worked for me.