In the Land of Saints and Sinners

When I saw the basic synopsis for this – Liam Neeson is an assassin who plans to retire, but a personal conflict draws him into a dangerous game of cat and mouse – it seemed like it was to be yet another repetitive play on the same role he’s played ever since Taken came out. With low expectations, and watching only through a compulsion i have to check out every Liam Neeson film regardless, what I found was a film that whilst it does cover familiar ground, the manner in which it covers it makes it feel like something stronger and fresher.

Set against the backdrop of the 70s troubles in Northern Island, the film opens with a car bombing in Belfast, giving us a quick introduction into Kerry Condon as Doireann McCann, who heads up this small faction of terrorists. Fleeing Belfast the four take shelter in the coastal town of Glencolmcille in Donegal, where Neeson’s Finbar resides, living a quiet life covering up his own line of work as a hitman for hire. We see Finbar take on what he plans to be his last job, cold and emotionless when delivering his message of violent retribution, before he tells his boss (Colm Meaney as Robert McQue) that he is packing it all in. However, one of the group of terrorists in hiding comes to the attention of Finbar when he discovers that he has been beating the daughter of the local pub keeper, setting off a chain of events that escalate and threaten the whole of this small community, and open up Finbar’s secrets to the friends he has made for himself.

On paper, it all sounds very generic, but the presentation and delivery are what makes this stand out from other Neeson thrillers. With a much more somber tone and delivery, this has an almost western feel to it, with easy comparisons being made to films such as Unforgiven, which tackled similar themes of regret and redemption for a life spent killing. Indeed, much like Unforgiven, we have an overly enthusiastic ‘kid’ who wants to follow in the footsteps of the legendary killer, here played by Jack Gleeson as Kevin, despite being told to find a better life. Ciaran Hinds, Sarah Green, and Niamh Cusack add local charm to the mix, with Hinds in particular offering insight into the simple day to day relationships Neeson’s stone faced killer has built over time.

But in the end it is Neeson and Condon who propel this film from start to finish, and do so marvellously. Neeson may be riffing on old tropes he has demonstrated previously, but here it is much more reflective and approach, more grounded, and less celebratory. When the violence breaks out, it isn’t done for thrills, but to slowly chisel away the last hope of redemption that Finbar has, and Neeson shows this in every glance. Condon is full of fire and emotion as someone with her own regrets – the killing of children in the recent bombing – but tries to cover this all up under anger and venom towards a country that has fallen around her. Her character seeks redemption through death, feeling nothing can atone for her sins, and so she presents a very different approach than Finbar to the escalating violence of the small town.

In The Land of Saints and Sinners won’t blow any doors off, but it is certainly one of the better of Neeson’s more recent years output, and thanks to strong casting picks in key roles is certainly worth a watch.