Revisiting an Aging Icon in a World of Vists
After the success of Revenge in 2008, Liam Neeson became closely associated with a particular kind of film—one that uses a tough, older protagonist to explore moral boundaries and the cost of violence. The subgenre sometimes called geriatric action has plenty of flash, but it often misses the deeper resonance that time and experience should bring to a life spent in righteous combat. Martin Campbell directs a newer entry that tries to address that gap, yet it lands with a heavy dose of familiar tropes and a shortage of genuine emotional resonance or memorable action sequences.
The Memory of a Murderer ★★
Address Martin Campbell
interpreters Liam Neeson, Guy Pearce, Monica Bellucci, Taj Atwal
Year 2022
premiere July 22, 2022
Taking cues from a 2003 Belgian film, Memory of a Murderer centers on a contract killer who is increasingly governed by Alzheimer’s. As he becomes entangled in cases of child sexual abuse, he begins a quiet turnaround, seeking forgiveness for his past actions. Neeson delivers the unmistakable intensity that has defined his on‑screen presence, blending a rigid hierarchy of discipline with moments of fragility. The actor’s performances throughout this cycle have made him a staple in these roles, yet Campbell’s direction shows limited appetite for developing the main character beyond surface level. The film treats the protagonist’s illness as a mere narrative mechanism rather than a tool that could illuminate the character’s internal conflict or irony. The tension between a hardened assassin and the dawning awareness of his own moral limits creates a provocative, if underused, premise.
As the story unfolds, the disease is not leveraged to deepen the plot but rather to push the action forward, leaving viewers with a sense of missed opportunities. The juxtaposition of a once‑fearsome figure grappling with memory loss mirrors the actor’s own public persona—both defined by a persona that once seemed invincible but is now negotiating a new sense of self. The result is a film that invites audiences to reflect on how guilt and memory collide when the mind falters, even as the surface narrative remains tethered to conventional thriller mechanics. Ultimately, Memory of a Murderer offers a moment of contemplation about conscience and consequence, yet it leaves the cinema experience feeling forgettable rather than transformative.