Run All Night [2015]

Starring: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris, Joel Kinnaman & Common
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra

Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: March 2015
Running Time: 114 mins

Synopsis: Mobster and hit man Jimmy Conlon has one night to figure out where his loyalties lie: with his estranged son, Mike, whose life is in danger, or his long-time best friend, mob boss Shawn Maguire, who wants Mike to pay for the death of his own son.

Liam Neeson action films are a particular guilty pleasure of mine – ever since his iconic role in Taken, he has had a career renaissance as an unlikely action hero. A stark contrast to the likes of Jason Statham, Tom Cruise and The Rock; Neeson’s most frequently-used weapons are the threatening phone call or menacing stare. Where his other action hero counterparts look robust and physically fit, Neeson instead just stands tall at 6ft 4 inches and intimidates his enemies with his gruff Irish brogue. It shouldn’t work, but it does.

Run All Night marks his third collaboration with Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra, following on from Unknown and Non-Stop, as the pair continue to showcase Neeson in flawed and morally-dubious roles – a departure from the heroic father figure of Bryan Mills seen in Taken. Neeson thrives with these complicated characters, bringing a level of gravitas to each part that some of his fellow action heroes would struggle to achieve.

Bearing a striking similarity to the plot of John Wick, which was released a year prior, Run All Night involves the son of a gangster making mistakes that lead into an all-out gang war between former friends. However, unlike John Wick, Run All Night is much less of an exercise in fight-scene choreography. There are a number of thrilling set-pieces, the most memorable being a dramatic car chase through the streets of New York, but the film lacks the fluidity and grace of the John Wick franchise. The city of New York itself is a prominent part of the film, not only does it serve as the backdrop to the action, but Collet-Serra implements some wonderful transition shots sending the camera flying off into the sky to various locations in the city as the gang war opens up. Those brief interludes help emphasize the cat-and-mouse nature of the plot as Jimmy and Mike Conlon attempt to avoid their pursuers.

Former-hitman Jimmy Conlon starts the film as a pathetic drunk before being forced to sober up and murder half of the New York underworld and only Liam Neeson can make that transition seem believable. His performance anchors the film, and it is the complexity of his relationships with his son Mike (Joel Kinnaman) and his employer Shawn Maguire (Ed Harris) that really elevates the drama of the film. Neeson and Harris do a fantastic job at establishing the bond between Conlon and Maguire, hinting at Maguire’s own guilt at breaking his friend’s spirit by using him as a hitman. Torn between his loyalty to his son and his best friend, Neeson makes a split-second decision that propels the film towards an inevitable conclusion. Those brief moments where Neeson and Harris do get to share scenes with each other, talking about the situation that their children have dragged them into are the real highlights of the film, creating far more tension and suspense than a gunfight.

Joel Kinnaman is great as Jimmy’s estranged son, Mike; a victim of circumstance, forced to acknowledge his father’s own mistakes and sacrifices. The chemistry between Neeson and Kinnaman is great, and watching the two gradually reconcile throughout the film – whilst inevitable, feels earned. As mentioned earlier, Ed Harris is tremendous as the reluctant antagonist – forced by blood honour to pursue his best friend and his son – all because of foolish mistakes made by his own son, played brilliantly by Boyd Holbrook. The film also introduces a more traditional adversary in the form of professional hitman Andrew Price (Common) who gets to be out-and-out evil without any moral compass to distract him. Given the angst and drama between the other leads, it is refreshing to see someone in the film being so ruthless and callous – almost like a pantomime villain at times.

Collet-Serra maintains a steady pace throughout the film, enhanced by those stylish transitions across the city, but the plot stalls towards the middle of the second act once all of the characters are separated. The sudden introduction of a cousin and ailing mother feel disjointed and act as a clumsy way to spur the father-and-son duo to finally split up and make their way towards their final acts. The way that Jimmy just eventually decides to face Maguire on his own turf makes the preceding events seem like a wasted exercise, and you can’t help but think that perhaps Jimmy should have just done this from the start.

Based upon the film’s poster and its title, part of me expected this to be the Liam Neeson equivalent of iconic 70s gang movie The Warriors, with Neeson and Kinnaman attempting to flee New York whilst an army of criminals and cops were after them – that would have been brilliant to watch. While that isn’t exactly how the film transpires, the sequence where Neeson and Kinnaman attempt to escape via the subway – including a brutal bathroom fight – did actually remind me of The Warriors, although I’m not sure whether it was an intentional homage.

Run All Night hits all the right spots for a Liam Neeson movie – it has plenty of thrilling action set-pieces, coupled with a tense phone call between Neeson and his intended target. There’s almost a Shakespearean quality to the film with the inevitability of its central tragedy and how Neeson struggles to atone for his past sins as a father. Ed Harris and Joel Kinnaman are fantastic as the two men reluctantly brought into conflict with each other, whilst Common lights up the screen as the psychotic hitman after the father-and-son fugitives. Despite a muddled third act, director Jaume Collet-Serra plays up to Neeson’s strengths as an action hero – prioritizing character development and drama over gunfights and car chases – although there’s plenty of those in there too. It might not be as iconic as Taken, but I doubt Neeson will ever reach those heights again – overall, it is a solid entry into the Liam Neeson action hero catalogue.