A Walk Among the Tombstones (film)

A Walk Among the Tombstones (film)
A Walk Among the Tombstones is a 2014 American neo-noir action thriller film directed and written by Scott Frank, and based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Lawrence Block. It stars Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour, and Boyd Holbrook. The film was released on September 19, 2014. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $62 million worldwide.
Plot
In New York City of 1991, Detective Matthew "Matt" Scudder's partner tries to persuade him to get help for his drinking problem. Going into a bar in Washington Heights that he frequents, Scudder orders a cup of coffee and two whiskey shots. Two men come in and shoot the bartender dead. Scudder chases them outside and kills one of them as well as their driver. He chases the other down the street as they fire at each other, before Scudder shoots him dead in a staircase alley. Eight years later in 1999, a now sober Scudder is an unlicensed private investigator. A man named Peter, who Scudder knows from Alcoholics Anonymous and is the brother of a drug trafficker named Kenny Kristo, approaches Scudder for help finding his Kenny's wife’s killers. They abducted her, demanded a ransom, and killed her despite receiving the money. Scudder agrees to help. He meets TJ, a homeless streetwise youth.
Scudder and TJ research similar killings. He learns two men murdered a Drug Enforcement Administration agent, and used her files on drug dealers to kidnap and kill their loved ones. After T.J is hospitalised after an assault, Scudder confesses that after the shootout in 1991, he discovered that one of his shots accidentally hit a seven year girl in the eye, killing her instantly. Despite not being blamed for it, Scudder quit the force and gave up drinking that day as he had been drunk during the shootout. Kristo asks Scudder to help fellow drug trafficker Yuri Landau, whose daughter Lucia has been kidnapped. When the kidnappers call, Scudder convinces them to keep Lucia alive in exchange for one million dollars.
The two kidnappers, Ray and Albert, agree to meet at the cemetery. Scudder, TJ and the drug traffickers exchange the money for Lucia, but Albert discovers the money is counterfeit and a shootout ensues. Albert and a wounded Ray escape in their van, with TJ hiding in the back.
TJ contacts Scudder with his location, while Albert kills the wounded Ray. Scudder and Kristo arrive and subdue Albert. Scudder leaves to put TJ in a taxi. When he returns, Kristo is dead and Albert attacks him from behind with a metal wire. Albert disarms Scudder and is about to kill him with a cleaver, but Scudder grabs Ray's taser and subdues him. He eventually kills Albert with a gunshot to the head. A while later, police arrive at the crime scene with Scudder observing from afar.
Cast
Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder
Dan Stevens as Kenny Kristo
Boyd Holbrook as Peter Kristo
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Jonas Loogan
Brian "Astro" Bradley as TJ
Mark Consuelos as Reuben Quintana
David Harbour as Ray
Adam David Thompson as Albert
Sebastian Roché as Yuri Landau
Laura Birn as Leila Andresen
Razane Jammal as Carrie Kristo
Leon Addison Brown as Stover
Danielle Rose Russell as Lucia
Marielle Heller as Marie Gotteskind
Development
A film adaptation of Block’s novel had been in development for several years with a script from Scott Frank. The film is largely faithful to the core story of the novel, while cutting several subplots and supporting characters. In 2002, Harrison Ford was attached to star and D.J. Caruso to direct. In May 2012, Liam Neeson had reportedly signed on to play Matthew Scudder in the film, with Frank himself directing, and production slated to begin February 2013.
Filming began on March 3, 2013 in New York City. Producers invited author Block to the set to watch filming. On the casting of Neeson, Block said, "Readers often ask who'd be my ideal Matt Scudder, and I usually change the subject. But now it's safe to tell you that, ever since I saw him in Michael Collins, Neeson has been up at the top of my personal Scudder wish list. I couldn't be happier about either the star or the writer/director, both of them genuine artists and brilliant professionals. My book's in good hands."
The film was completed on October 8, 2013, and classified by the MPAA as rated R for "strong violence, disturbing images, language, and brief nudity". On October 18, 2013, Block tweeted that he had seen the film and revealed producers were aiming for a September 2014 release. On January 30, 2014, it was announced the film would be released on September 19, 2014.
Reception
Box office
A Walk Among the Tombstones grossed $26 million in the United States and Canada, and $36.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total gross of $62.1 million, against its $28 million budget.
The film earned $428,000 from Thursday night from 1,918 theaters, and $4.7 million from 2,712 theaters on its opening day. It debuted at number two at the box office on its opening weekend earning $13.1 million behind The Maze Runner ($32.5 million).
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 68% based on 165 reviews, with an average rating of 6.20/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A Walk Among the Tombstones doesn't entirely transcend its genre clichés, but it does offer Liam Neeson one of his more compelling roles in recent memory, and that's often enough." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.
Richard Roeper gave the film a B+ rating, calling the film "a stylish and smart thriller". Manohla Dargis in The New York Times called it "one of those rare cinematic offerings: intelligent pulp" but also noted that the film "can be tough to watch, particularly its fleeting images of tortured women". In Variety, Andrew Barker found it a well-made thriller "with a good deal of panache and style".
References
External links
2010s mystery thriller films
2014 films
2014 action thriller films
2014 crime thriller films
American action thriller films
American crime thriller films
American mystery thriller films
American neo-noir films
Cross Creek Pictures films
2010s English-language films
Films directed by Scott Frank
Films produced by Brian Oliver
Films produced by Danny DeVito
Films scored by Carlos Rafael Rivera
Films set in 1991
Films set in 1999
Films based on American novels
Films based on crime novels
Films set in New York City
Films about murder
Films about kidnapping
Films shot in New York City
Films with screenplays by Scott Frank
Universal Pictures films
Buena Vista International films
2010s American films
Films set in Brooklyn