The Marksman (2021)
7/10
Amateur production...
20 January 2021
...and that's not necessarily a bad thing. But what disappoints me here is that there were three amateur writers, with this film as their first ever writing credit (Chris Charles, Danny Kravitz and Robert Lorenz - who also directed), and I wish they'd consulted a seasoned writer - and making a point to tell that writer that Liam Neeson was the lead.

For their first writing credit, it wasn't that bad, but the 108 min runtime wasn't used effectively. It either needed to be trimmed down to about 80 mins - for the current story and pacing, or (and I would've preferred this) fill those minutes with more action and suspense. And that's not even considering Neeson was cast, and we all know we crave his action. So not getting that action, was a huge let down. Even the title of this film, only fills 5 minutes of the 108, and that's pretty sad - and a waste. There were a few plot and technical issues, as well as some content that should've been omitted i.e. bank issues, especially how that bonfire was fueled (without giving away any spoilers), which in my opinion was dumb.

This was also Lorenz's 2nd directing credit, and considering that, his work was impressive. The scenes were fluid, camera work on point, and it seemed the cast had great direction from him. The cinematography and score were also decent. It's a recommended watch - because of Neeson, but I wouldn't see it again, and probably forget about it down the road. It's a 7/10 from me.
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