In the Land of Saints and Sinners

This reminds me of a haunted song by Lana Del Rey, ‘Gods & Monsters’. Although the movie is not similar to the song’s theme anyway, somehow the opening line struck my mind—

Liam Neeson is kind of a favourite actor to me. Perhaps because he is a cool guy or his movies contain fewer aspects of utter madness— lightly actioned but adequate to have a gentle experience. Or could be he is a veteran actor who knows things around better than many others? Whatever it is, his acting in In the Land of Saints and Sinners is quite over the board. The cinematography and setting resonate well with his brilliance. Less talk, more action— in silence. I like how the movie takes us to a remote landscape with so many vibrant lives.

So, Liam plays the role of a very successful assassin with a unique style. He loves to plant trees on every person he buries somewhere. And there are many trees signifying his prominence in killing without upsetting the neighbourhood. But everything has to stop at some point. He is eager to retire only to realise he is being chased by 3 terrorists hiding in the same neighbourhood. Should he step forward and do the magic or keep his clean image in the locality in exchange for his friends’ lives— the dilemma continues as the viewers experience a growing tension between what’s obvious and the free will of the characters.

Even though the remote setting and 60’s vibe attempted to highlight an isolated theme, the story itself is quite intriguing. There is something that escalated the characterisation in general, yet, you cannot overlook the classy style. This could be a glorifying Western genre if the characters rode horses instead of classic cars. A small community where unknown faces are detected too easily, everyone gathers in the pub to socialise, and a police officer trying to ensure laws are enforced properly gives me a Western vibe. Assassins hunting down men for money is quite synonymous with West’s bounty hunters— all lead to that exact feeling, but it’s not. Watching the movie is more like a privilege, getting two vibes in a single screen time.

The most distinguishing feature of the movie to me is the definition of terrorists. They are more comfortable using bombs than guns and alike. Seems like there is something political, but I couldn’t figure out. And there is no clue either— the movie opens with a bombing scene and ends almost the same; in a different context. What felt like some political chaos turned into avenging the death of friends and family. Unlike most other movies where villains are indifferent about their fallen friends, this one revolves around the theme of honouring the death of friends by killing the killers.

Also, there is a thin hint of love and affection. Quite unusual. A retired assassin is trying to find the meaning of life— starts caring for the lives around even though they aren’t any part of his family. Despite the lethal context, the movie is surprisingly calm; like everything is happening as supposed to be. You can experience the art of patience amidst growing tensions.

To me, the story is quite well-versed and the characters played their parts amazingly. Although it’s not entirely perfect, and there is nothing that might create a lasting impression, I believe it’s perfect for a family movie night with lights turned off and a bit of snuggling under a cosy blanket.

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