Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Run all night


DIRECTOR: Jaume Collet-Serra  LEAD CAST:  Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman, Ed Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Vincent D’Onoprio, Common  SCREENWRITER:  Brad Ingelsby  PRODUCERS:  Roy Lee, Michael Tadross, Brooklyn Weaver  EDITOR:  Craig Mckay  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Junkie XL GENRE:  Crime, Drama, Mystery Thriller  CINEMATOGRAPHER: Martin Luhe  DISTRIBUTOR:  Warner Bros. Pictures  LOCATION:  United States RUNNING TIME: 114 minutes
Technical Assessment: 3.5
Moral Assessment: 3
CINEMA rating: V 14
            Brooklyn mobster and hit-man Jimmy Conlon (Liam Neeson) and his underworld boss Shawn Mcguire (Ed Harris) are long time best friends. Shawn’s son Danny (Boyd Holbrook) double-crosses some drug dealers and kills them.  Jimmy’s estranged son Mike (Joel Kinnaman) witnesses the crime. Danny hunts down Mike, catches him at home, and when about to shoot him is shot dead instead—by Jimmy himself. Jimmy confesses to Shawn that he has killed Danny to save Mike’s life. Burning with vengeance, Shawn deploys his gang and expert assassin (Common) to kill Jimmy and Mike.  Father and son run all night for their lives and those of Mike’s family.
            Run All Night is heavily charged with dramatic plotlines that delve deep into the very core of the main characters’ motivations. Much of the revelations are done through expository dialogue but the actors’ strength of delivery and proven caliber deliver those verbose sequences with compelling ease. The story is plotty but not complicated and the audience could easily follow the journey of the characters. However, the heavy plot could sometimes turn away the story from its main focus. The film shines through in the scenes where there is minimal action. In fact, the action sequences seem to be out of place sometimes and the inclusion of an expert assassin feels a little off. But then, the impeccable acting and characterization of principal actors pull everything off and make the film interesting and enjoyable to watch.
            There are plenty of interesting relationships at play in the film and it is very interesting to dissect the values that cut-through in this crime-drama feature.  It starts off with the valued friendship between Jimmy and Shawn. Their loyalty to one another is time-tested, although the foundation of their friendship (which is primarily crime) is another story. Their friendship ended when Jimmy chose to save his son over Shawn’s. And there, the conflict arises. One major realization audiences can ponder on is the significance of the foundation of friendship. Jimmy and Shawn are best friends and partners in crime.  From the beginning, the friendship is tainted because it is founded on something evil. Friendship is good but crime is evil. The friendship does not make crime any less evil. Here it is clearly seen that evil is evil—and it recognizes no friendship. Jimmy is a broken person and seems to have suffered the consequences of his actions, the heaviest of which is his estranged relationship with his son. When he found opportunity and purpose to be a father to his son, it is quite too late. But then, love reigns in all situations—the actions of Jimmy may be evil but he is not.  Jimmy is still capable of loving.  He is a sinner yet as the Church has always been telling the people—hate the sin, not the sinner. Jimmy found purpose in life and that is to make amends with his son. His son could not accept him at first. But Jimmy demonstrated unconditional love so his son eventually melted. If time could not heal the wounds, love will. Jimmy’s actions towards the end of his life brought him redemption. But then, it does not make his previous actions right, but his sincere contrition and remorse clearly show that it is never too late for somebody to change ways, and to change heart.  Jimmy may have been trapped in a world he never really desired—and this is clearly seen in the film as he tries as far as possible to prevent his son from pulling even a single trigger—such consistency depicted in the story make the film moral despite and in spite of the heaviness of crime being tackled in the movie.