Under the lens takes a deep look at films by focusing in on one or two particular areas of the picture that helped to define it for better or for worse. Spoilers will be included in this review.
Honest Thief is an action thriller that stars Liam Neeson, Kate Walse, Jai Courtney, Jeffrey Donovan, and Robert Patrick. the story follows a notorious bank robber who wanting a normal life turns himself in, only to be double-crossed by two ruthless FBI agents. On the run and framed for a murder he must go after the agents in order to prove his innocence.
Under The Lens: Original Plot, Action lite and Jeffrey Donovan
Original Plot: Honest Thief, presents an intriguing premise what if a criminal wanted to give up his way of life and go straight? Neeson has starred in many action thrillers since Taken, and while a great number are good to great, they do have similar plots. Honest Thief takes the idea and turns it on its head. The villains are the people we think of as the goods guys, the good guy was once a bad guy, and the good agent was once an agent who did not really care about his job. It’s a good subversion of a genre film.
Action Lite: Honest Thief is billed as an action thriller and while it is most definitly a thriller, the picture is surprisingly light on action sequences, there are a few gunfights and some brief car chases, but mostly that is it. While many may see this as a negative, I did not, the film is about a criminal who was a bomb disposal expert in the Marines, but never killed anyone in the military or as a criminal. So all the action we see is just that, a man trying really hard to NOT kill anyone and trying to escape more than fight. The picture deals with Neeson trying to get the dirty agents to confess to what they did, and thus whether he is bombing their homes, or planting an IED under the seat of the last agent’s car. It’s violence with an effort to not hurt or kill.
Jeffrey Donovan: Donovan gets a large role as a FBI agent hunting Neeson, but who also believes that the former criminal is being set up. Donovan is a great actor who is criminally underrated, even in a supporting role he manages to bring small nuances to his character and really brings what could of been a boring character to life.
Highlights
Liam Neeson looks great in the role, he does not appear to be near 70 as he is in real life, he pulls off the action well.
This picture has some very tender romantic moments and is as much a romantic thriller as a criminal one.
The third act brings the classic “Taken” vibe of Neeson hunting his prey, and it was awesome.
Quotable Quote
Tom : I’ve robbed twelve banks in seven states. I have a little over nine million dollars in cash. And no one knows who I am.
Something to think about
Do you think that people who have been criminals for years can decide to turn their lives around? What would you do to prove your love to someone like Tom did?
Conclusion
Overall Honest Thief accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do, tell a simple story about a simple man who is just trying to turn his life around. It delivers the vengeful Lian Neeson we all love to watch, with a decent romantic subplot and delicious comeuppance for the evil villains. With a short runtime the picture takes advantage of it by moving at a fast clip, a moment never drags and the viewer should be careful of when they take a bathroom break or risk missing a plot point.
Honest Thief is not destined to be a classic, but it’s a fun and thrilling ride that is surprisingly relevant today with its narrative about good and bad cops taking advantage. It’s a breezy good time at the cinemas and one that will live you with a smile on your face.