Honest Thief (2020)

Directed by: Mark Williams | 99 minutes | action, crime | Actors: Liam Neeson, Kate Walsh, Jai Courtney, Jeffrey Donovan, Anthony Ramos, Robert Patrick, Birol Tarkan Yildiz, Tazzie, Adam Teper, Jose Guns Alves, Osmani Rodriguez, Janelle Feigley

He is now approaching seventy, but that doesn’t stop Liam Neeson from taking on the role of tough, combative action hero in his films who gives evil scum a taste of their own medicine. Around the age of 55, the tall Northern Irishman made a career move that few saw coming. Acclaimed dramas such as ‘Schindler’s List’ (1993), ‘Michael Collins’ (1996) and ‘Kinsey’ (2004) suddenly gave way to action spectacle after ‘Taken’ (2008). Thanks to the film’s worldwide success, Neeson – formerly an esteemed actor but by no means a box office magnet – was back on the radar of major Hollywood producers and was cast in blockbusters such as ‘Clash of the Titans’ (2010). and the reboot of ‘The A-Team’ from that same year. Many action spectacles followed, because behind that friendly face of Neeson is apparently a man who knows how to crush his opponents like no other. Liam is not to be trifled with! Not all action films with Neeson are equally strong, but he himself never gives up and makes even the most ramshackle scenario (still somewhat) enjoyable. After the most lucrative decade of his career, Neeson announced that he is done making action films because he fears that people will now think he is too old. “As soon as I notice that, I’ll stop and start playing fathers and grandfathers. But I keep myself fit and my knees are still good. And it’s just a lot of fun too.”

Neeson’s knees are fine in ‘Honest Thief’ (2020). In this crime drama written and directed by Mark Williams, he plays Tom Carter, the “honest thief” from the title. For years he robbed banks in various American cities in a very secure manner, but now he has had enough. He wants to retire. He no longer needs one last job, as you often see in these kinds of films. That he wants to improve his life is because of Annie (Kate Walsh), the manager of the storage room where he has stored his many stolen millions. Because he doesn’t spend the money. He once started stealing in revenge, because his father saw his pension money saved up for years go up in smoke. And because he turned out to be good at it and managed to stay out of the hands of the police all those years, he kept it up for a while. But now Tom thinks it’s time to come to terms with himself. He wants to report himself – in exchange for a reduced sentence – to the police and tell them where to find the money. But when he calls, veteran detectives Meyers (Jeffrey Donovan) and Baker (Robert Patrick) don’t believe him; instead of going to see for themselves, they decide to send inexperienced agents Nivens (Jai Courtney) and Hall (Anthony Ramos) to investigate. However, they turn out to be for their own benefit. Nivens, in particular, appears not to shy away from using violence to gain his own advantages. But he turns out to have a tough one in Carter…

Liam Neeson who gets into a fight with no fewer than four FBI agents, that’s what you like to come to the cinema for. ‘Honest Thief’ is a tightly made crime drama that does not excel in originality, but thanks to the tempo and the solid plot it is nice to look away. Neeson certainly doesn’t have to pull out all the stops – he plays roles like this with his eyes closed – although he does have to endure a lot physically in his old age. The nice thing about his character is that he turns out not to be a one-dimensional action hero, but a man with a conscience and a hopeless romantic who wants to completely change course out of love for Annie and make a clean sweep. Williams could have added a touch of humor for balance and the effect is very ‘clean’ and predictable. Nevertheless, ‘Honest Thief’ looks wonderfully away. Is it Neeson, who will wrap us around his fingers in no time as a repented bank robber? Is it the sweet and believable romance we see blossoming before our eyes? Or is it that pleasant pace with which Williams draws us into the story and effortlessly keeps us on the lesson. ‘Honest Thief’ heads straight for his target; there are hardly any side paths, which is also refreshing. Could this really be Neeson’s last action movie? Let’s hope not!