Liam Neeson really could use something like Scott Frank's “A Walk Among the Tombstones.” The word “paycheck” is becoming synonymous with his name lately (not that things like “The Grey” and Martin Scorsese's upcoming “Silence” don't do a lot to mitigate this), but it would be good to see some serious, solid, consistent flexing from him again.
In this adaptation of Lawrence Block”s bestselling series of mystery novels, Neeson stars as Matt Scudder, an ex-NYPD cop who now works as an unlicensed private investigator operating just outside the law (naturally). He agrees to help find the people who kidnapped and murdered a drug dealer's wife and the story unfolds from there.
Frank has worked wonders on the page in his time (“Get Shorty,” “Out of Sight,” “Minority Report”) and his directorial debut, “The Lookout,” was very well-received in 2007. I've been looking forward to this one for a while, even happened upon the set in downtown New York last April. It's set for a mid-September release so we could potentially see it pop up at the Toronto Film Festival later this year.
For now, check out the trailer below, fit with an eerie rendition of Soundgarden's “Black Hole Sun” (courtesy, I'm told, of Swan and Nouela — a little “Superunknown” 20th anniversary synergy for you, I guess). Tell us what you think.
“A Walk Among the Tombstones” hits theaters Sept. 19.