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“The Commuter” stars Liam Neeson (Taken Franchise), Sam Neil (“Jurassic Park” Franchise), Elizabeth McGovern (“Downtown Abbey”), Jonathan Banks (“Better Call Saul”), Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga (“The Conjuring” Franchise). The film pairs film director Jaume Collet-Serra and Neeson in their fourth film in a non-related series of movies that include “Unknown” (2011), “Non-Stop” (2014) and “Run All Night” (2015). The film was released Jan. 12 in the United States and boasts a $30 million budget.
The film’s premise surrounds Michael MacCauley (Neeson), a hardworking and devoted father and husband, struggling to keep his family afloat amid changing times. The movie provides expositional dialogue through MacCauley, to help give the character arc more credence. The previews of the movie reveal that Michael is faced with taking on a specific task while commuting home one evening. However, the film shows that accepting, or not accepting the task has repercussions too dangerous to fathom.
The film zeros in rather quickly on Michael’s family life, and through this, viewers build a connection with the protagonist rather soon. The audience understands what makes Michael tick, as they can relate to his pain, live through his successes, and share his determination later in the film. The film glances briefly at his time before the present day setting, showing his connection to a local law enforcement organization and those that he knew.
The incorporation of all these elements in the first act of the film establishes a great base for the remaining scenes. Coupled with the chemistry on scene by the characters, (many of whom have worked together several times before) is a sense of realism as the audience can pull persons out of their own lives that parallel the characters. These characters include a passionate spouse, the contentious teenage child and the best friend that is shallow yet there when necessary. Overall, the characters were very well developed and created a hedge around the plot of the film and guarded it well.
The plot is advanced by the dynamic cast, who reveal new facets of themselves within every minute the film ensues. The movie keeps filmgoers guessing at every turn as it plays a psychological mind game, asking perpetually, “What’s Next?” As Michael pauses and asks this question and tries to get to the root of his distress, the audience is taken on a journey that parallels their skepticism with real-world problems. In this way, the plot continued to thrive as it was not something of a fantasy-driven nature but centered on solving a list of several issues that are faced every day.
The plot hits a significant snag near the third act where more information is revealed about the key players involved and causes numerous questions to arise. Nevertheless, several action scenes, close encounters with high tension and nail-biting, jaw-dropping moments create a plot that is not new but creative in presentation. Jaume (Director) stamp resonates throughout the scenes as it is a similar thrill felt in his previous movie with Neeson, “Non-Stop.”
“Commuter” does not provide anything new to the big screen regarding plot or character arcs, but what it does bring to the table is a ton of creativity. The creativity exudes in the color palette painted in each scene that relates mood vividly on screen. The creativity is interwoven in complexed characters who are easy to understand yet hard to read. The direction underscores this by not lingering too long on screen with the antagonists, giving away any telltale signs. This level of direction allows the audience the respect of guessing who could be a contributor to the problem at every turn without spoon-feeding clues.
Additionally, to see Liam Neeson at the age of 65 still doing action sequences and attempting to perform stunts continues to crown him the apple of audience’s eyes. Neeson’s rough voice and steely appearance continue to provide audiences over the years, with a nostalgia that continues to be the pivotal point drawing them to theatres.
Overall, “The Commuter” is an exciting ride that has been taken before but has not become lackluster. The amalgamation of a cast with history along with an experienced director has provided for a film that does not saunter on thrills. Audiences will hold their breaths, sit at the edge of their seats, laugh, and feel sympathetic and empathetic toward each character presented. The real-life scenario offered by the plot allows the audience to invest even more into the 105-minute run-time without feeling cheated of a movie ticket. In time, “Commuter” will show itself to be a hidden gem amongst Neeson’s most celebrated performances on screen. Despite a meager critic score of 54 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience score of 59 percent, once its international release in the United Kingdom Jan. 19 audiences will continue to rave about this films performances.
