STORY: A most wanted bank robber decides to turn himself in when he meets the woman of his dreams. But thanks to a couple of corrupt FBI officials, his attempt to surrender turns into a dangerous nightmare.
REVIEW: Tom Carter (Liam Neeson), branded as the ‘in and out bandit’ by police and media for his slick bank robberies, suddenly decides to take the high road and surrender. He wants to return the entire $9 million in cash from the twelve banks he robbed.In return, he wants to negotiate a reduced sentence and get full visitation rights. The reason for this change of heart is Annie (Kate Walsh) – a spunky middle-aged divorcee, who he has been seeing since only a year.
At first Tom’s attempts to surrender are discarded as prank calls by the FBI officials, but finally, two young officers Agent Nivens (Jai Courtney) and Agent Hall (Anthony Ramos) are assigned to check the veracity of his claims. And here comes a twist in the tale that ends up in an unexpected adventure, complete with intense gunfights, assaults, car chases and murders.
68-year-old Neeson is in control of this thriller that begins like a simple meet-cute routine of a heartwarming and mature love story. But it quickly turns into a fast moving, edge-of-the-seat kinda experience. Well, it’s not like we did not see it coming, but there are parts of the narrative that are indeed unpredictable.
Director and co-writer Mark Williams tells his story simply and entertainingly without going over-the-top. The action is well-choreographed and convincing, in keeping with Neeson’s onscreen age and character. None of it feels out of place despite the fact that director Williams never gives us deeper insights into any of his key characters. Everything is told in broad strokes, but works because the film runs at a solid pace and doesn’t waste time in needless drama or emotional exchanges. Consequently, the chemistry between Neeson and Walsh is pretty much non-existent. However, it’s a small price to pay for some fast action, where the bad guys get what they deserve.
Liam Neeson is the force behind this actioner with his sagely face - it just makes it so easy to root for him, even when he is robbing millions. Kate Walsh’s disarming charm works its magic even with a cursorily written character that barely exploits her full potential. Jai Courtney is befittingly arrogant and pompous as the rogue FBI official while Anthony Ramos comes off as suitably vulnerable. But it’s Jeffrey Donovan who seems to have the most fun as the recently divorced Agent Meyers. Stuck with his ex-wife’s puppy in a lose-all alimony battle, he is the slight comic relief with his sarcastic rejoinders in this otherwise serious film.
In the end, ‘Honest Thief’ is an all too familiar Liam Neeson outing. But a unique plot with unpretentious performances and some thrilling moments make it worth your while. Honest!
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