Is it February again already?
There's a deep exasperation that sets in when watching Neeson's contemporary films. What more can be said in the latest release that hasn't been addressed here, here, or even here? The actor found his new calling in disposable thrillers and has made a late-stage career out of it, playing essentially the same role in every movie of this kind. If you haven't yet abandoned Neeson in his post-"Taken" action outings perhaps make a BINGO game out of watching his movies. Guns? Check. Chases? Check. A line about "getting out" of whatever shady operations he's a part of? That's a full BINGO with "Memory."
Neeson stars as Alex Lewis, an assassin who wants to leave his criminal life behind, especially because he is struggling with the early stages of Alzheimer's. Before he can officially get out of the game, he is tasked with the proverbial, pesky final job, which in this case involves a teenage immigrant named Beatriz (Mia Sanchez). When Alex refuses to complete the job, he finds himself as the one being hunted and no longer the hunter. Guy Pearce co-stars as a cop looking for Alex, and Monica Bellucci relishes in a few scenes as the head of a criminal organization.
Director Martin Campbell has helmed his share of generic action pictures and has also dabbled in James Bond world ("Casino Royale"), which requires a higher level of filmmaking than Neeson movies tend to offer. The action here is a bit slicker and better staged than some of Neeson's previous movies and Campbell ups the intensity level of the action, which proves to be a bit more entertaining than what we've recently seen.
Even so, what was once entertaining from Neeson has now become an endurance test, and that's not the energy you wish to project with an action movie. There's predictable and formulaic, and then there's teetering on lazy, which is what Neeson's career has become. It's not like Neeson isn't a good actor, and he occasionally takes on quieter projects like "Ordinary Love," where he had lovely chemistry with Lesley Manville, or "Made in Italy," a middling film with a much more keyed-in Neeson performance. When it comes to his thriller outings, autopilot is the only speed he has.
"Memory" theaters started 2022 April 29.
Memory Movie Review By Matthew Passantino
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