Marlowe – Movie Review

Marlowe stars Liam Neeson as a private detective.

Marlowe is Liam Neeson’s 100th movie. The noir crime thriller set in the late 1930s is an adaptation of the 2014 novel The Black-Eyed Blonde by John Banville. The film also stars Diane Kruger and Jessica Lange. Neil Jordan, who helmed Interview With The Vampire and Crying Game, directs it and is now playing in theaters.

Synopsis

A street-wise, down-on-his-luck detective, Philip Marlowe (Leeson), is hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress Kruger). She is the daughter of a well-known movie star (Lange). Unfortunately, the disappearance unearths a web of lies, and soon Marlowe is involved in a dangerous, deadly investigation. Everyone involved has something to hide.

Marlowe is a mystery crime thriller that looks great on paper. This noir detective film has a great cast, but the performances are dull, except for Jennifer Lange. Liam Neeson, for years, has been playing the same characters inserted in different genres and settings. But at his age, he still pulls off impressive feats and still looks great doing it despite “getting too old for this,” as he states in the film. Unfortunately, the case Marlowe is trying to solve is placed in a muddled plot that adds unnecessary characters that are squeezed in to connect the story. In addition, the movie has no natural progression or suspense to keep moviegoers engaged, and despite only being a 1-hour 50-minute film, it feels like it drags on. However, to my surprise, the production’s design is fantastic, capturing the era’s essence, from the costumes to the sets and the locations used.

Verdict

I give Marlowe 2.5 out of 5 stars. For Neeson’s 100th movie, he should have picked a much stronger project. Read more Reviews on Nerdtropolis and Subscribe to our YouTube.