'A Walk Among the Tombstones': Why Are People Afraid of the Wrong Things?

By Juliedee Parcia Oct 20, 2014 10:09 AM EDT

(Photo : 'A Walk Among the Tombstones': Why People Are Afraid of the Wrong Things?)

'A Walk Among the Tombstones': Why Are People Afraid of the Wrong Things?

Brutal, unforgiving, and nasty, "A Walk Among the Tombstones," is one of those exceptional contemporary cinematic pieces, which provide intelligent pulp according to The New York Times. The film was directed and written by Scott Frank, a scriptwriter whose credits include "Minority Report" and "Get Shorty". This just means that he spent time transposing the likes of Phillip K. Dick and Elmore Leonard. Mr. Frank is working with less pleasurable, uglier material here, the novel of Lawrence Block which features his character Matthew Scudder. It is a story of good as well as evil in which men are tough like nails.

Scudder, portrayed by Liam Neeson, is a feeble light in inexorable darkness. He is also a familiar kind. An ex-NYPD police with a tragedy in the past, he now deals with the reality as a private investigator doing some "favors" for everyone. As a return, he accepts gifts for his services.

The violence in the film is sporadic, yet intense and bloody. It also features ramifications starting with the ill-fated pursuit of Scudder, and carrying over into his past where he attends meetings as well as doing his job. His life is like his apartment, which is so bare.

The Sydney Morning Herald stated that several movie goers may find "A Walk Among the Tombstones" an ugly one, yet it keeps coming back to humanity. However, distorted because of the characters and the thought of how people may go astray when they are trying to hold on to it. The key shoot-out of the film keeps pausing in the free-frames, not for the stylish effect, but to let you consider what is really happening. There is no simple pleasure to succumb to, yet the film is definitely satisfying and a must watch for those who wanted to be thrilled.

According to Boston Standard, despite providing compelling moments, "A Walk Among the Tombstones" still has some genre clichés. Fortunately, the screen presence of Neeson does enough to keep the film movie graveyard through offering his trademark factor, but it is never as clever as you think.