Honest Thief

This review may contain spoilers! 

 

This is the sort of slow paced thriller that will really get its hooks into you the more you watch. I would give Honest Thief a 7.5/10.

 

Honest Thief sees Tom, an infamous thief who has stolen over nine million dollars across twelve banks, turn a new leaf in his life and attempt to come clean by turning himself in upon meeting the newfound love of his life, Annie. Unfortunately things take a turn for the worse when a pair of corrupt federal agents attempt to steal the money Tom is trying to return and frame the former thief for murder. This film worked because the story felt so nicely contained; this was a minor federal investigation that escalates steadily as events press on making the conflict feel very personal in how it plays out. You actually get to spend a lot of time with all of the characters who make up this story in ways that matter, a lot of films push out a thriller like this and focus on constantly upping the stakes both visually and through an intensive story. This worked because Tom never evolved into some kind of an uber-action man, he was a competent thief with a history of explosives work from his time in the marines. The bad guys made mistakes that turned allies against them, you got to see the antagonists of the film develop into monsters or steadily develop doubts about the decisions they had made. I think the nature of how the film showcased what could've been a simple revenge plot but instead became a delivery of justice, love and the significance of doing what is right really made it something special. The cinematography for Honest Thief looks really great, often capturing these really dynamic character-intensive scenes with intimate shots and carefully framed sequences.

 

Jai Courtney, who played Agent Nivens, makes for an incredible antagonist throughout this feature; Courtney becomes a darker force as his greed steadily consumes him and he grows more reckless in his attempts to walk away with the money. Jeffrey Donovan, who played Agent Meyers, has a fun dry wit when first introduced that I came to enjoy; but the power of Donovan's performance is his intense reaction to Sam Baker's (Patrick) death and the coy way he investigates both sides of this conflict. Anthony Ramos, who played Agent Hall, had one of the most interesting character arcs of the feature; Ramos showed a very good cop turn corrupt under the influence of greed and then turned his role from antagonist to protagonist again by exploring the serious ethical doubts his character had. Robert Patrick, who played Agent Sam Baker, isn't in this film for long but certainly leaves a strong impression; Patrick's dry wit pairs really well alongside Donovan's and he plays a role with keen instincts around a developing crime scene.

 

However, the best performance came from Liam Neeson, who played Tom. Neeson is a veteran performer who has done a fantastic job of leading several memorable films in the past; so it comes as no surprise that his leading performance here is such a hit. Tom is a quietly resolute character, almost gentle in his manner when he's alone or with those he's close to. I think this contrasts really well with the steely determination he takes on when enacting a plan or going to confront an antagonist. The build from confusion, to upset, to just plain rage that he is being dishonourably betrayed by federal agents who are personally destroying his life is really gripping to watch. I like how Neeson approached Tom, he built up a man who was so angry at the injustices he saw being enacted upon vulnerable people that he did something wrong; but in finding someone to love he was able to change what he was doing because of that.

Honest Thief is undeniably a slow-paced thriller at the best of times, the biggest weakness of this well-crafted thriller is a serious pacing issue. The film takes its time to get where it's going, often allowing for a big break in the action to host several long scenes in which characters talk circles around each other for a spell. Most of the time this leads to some very engaging, character-driven scenes but there are also a number of unnecessary moments that didn't really need to make it into the film. This feature also pushes the realm of reason at times by limiting the number of agents who are going after Tom, or taking a long time for the rug to fall out from under the antagonists. The romance element of the film works really well for Tom character motivation but as a character Annie goes through some character development that is very quick and hard to really become convinced by. The editing for the film helps set the slower pace and has a very blocky way of cutting through scenes, even taking a bit long to cut away from some of the messier looking stunts. The score for this feature is pretty generic, having high intensity sound for chase or fight scenes but little else to offer beyond that.

 

Kate Walsh, who played Annie, really slingshots her character throughout this film; Walsh goes from being one of the most plain love interests I've ever seen in a thriller to a ride along action co-star that just never really fits well alongside Neeson.