Liam Neeson elevates “The Commuter”. Again, Neeson is way better than the material of the movie. Paradoxically, Director Jaume Collet-Serra’s “The Commuter” poses as an action movie, but is really more thriller that contains action in the narrative genre.
The screenplay by Byron Willinger, Philip de Balsi and Ryan Engle is very slow going from the exposition of the set up. Too bad. “The Commuter” opens with the provocative premise. Mysterious beautiful Vera Farmiga’s Joanna asks commuter train passenger Michael, played by Neeson, “What kind of person are you?” Michael we learn from the introduction and series of flashbacks is an Insurance Agent for a large firm in New York City. He is laid off from his job after 10 years of service.
This could not have happened at a more inopportune time. Michael and his wife Karen, caring Elizabeth McGovern, are strapped financially having to take out 2 mortgages on their home to send son Danny, played by Dean-Charles Chapman, to Syracuse University in the fall. Michael is a good man. He was an NYPD Officer before retiring to work insurance. Patrick Wilson plays Alex, Michael’s dear friend and former Police partner. Too bad McGovern isn’t leveraged more here. It is nice seeing her again in movies.
After his layoff notice and riding the Commuter train home, Michael sits with Joanna, who offers him $100K if he agrees to determine what passenger on this train doesn’t belong. This is more than hypothetical inquiry. What kind of person is Michael? Well, we kind of know through Neeson’s persona that he is the noble Hero. Too bad also, charismatic Farmiga is relegated to her voice on mobile phone calls as Michael seeks to solve this puzzle, and save the lives of both Karen and Danny.
Neeson is strong as the Michael desperately uses his will, wits, and action skills to save his family in the structured web of lies and betrayal. The “idiot plot” is that Joanna should know better than to f with Michael. After all he is Liam Neeson. To that point “The Commuter” almost drags and tests your patience waiting for Neeson to unleash upon the villains. Almost.
Neeson does deliver with both physical fury and gravitas. Again, he is way better than “The Commuter” itself. Unfortunately, having created an intriguing premise into human nature the movie forgets that morphing into a chase and discover narrative-kind of ordinary. Collet-Serra and his writers could have been more ambitious. Liam Neeson deserved better. In a sense so do we.
“The Commuter” is good mostly, because of Neeson. However, even our Hero can only do so much. This is not a great movie. Yet, it is entertaining. This may have been greater with a little more care and intention.
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Originally Published on IMDb