The detective plot is as good as the formula can be. It’s complex and engaging. It depicts a world that is unforgiving, violent, and cruel to its characters. Despair is a common theme in almost all noir. A Walk Among the Tombstones looks okay and the subject matter is intense, but Scott Frank fails to communicate this intensity through the visuals. But what works are the incredible sound design and the villains. Gun shots are intensely loud and you hear everything from the cannon firing, the chamber discharging, and the casing falling to the ground in crystal clarity. A low hum during the night sequences adds an ominous mood to these scenes despite being too highly lit. The silences are unsettling. On top of this, the film has two of the cruelest, most depraved villains in years.
For the most part, this film focuses on developing its plot a lot more than its action scenes, but Liam Neeson is perfectly cast to play this role. Few things in contemporary movies are more fun than hearing him threaten the bad guys over the phone. While it may be a slightly more complex character compared to the other action heroes, A Walk Among the Tombstones delivers.
A Walk Among the Tombstones
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