Liam Neeson stars as a hired assassin with dementia in “Memory.” Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren play an older married couple in “The Duke.”
Liam Neeson in “Memory.” (Open Road)
Liam Neeson fans, get excited! The action star’s new thriller film, “Memory,” hits theaters this weekend, in which the iconic actor plays a hired assassin suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Looking for a sweet comedy based on an unlikely true story? Look no further than “The Duke,” starring Jim Broadbent as a working-class Englishman who sneaks into London’s National Gallery to steal a Goya painting of the Duke of Wellington.
“Memory” — Liam Neeson, Monica Bellucci, Guy Pearce; directed by Martin Campbell
“Memory” comes from Martin Campbell, the director of the James Bond reboot “Casino Royale” and the 2021 thriller “Protégé.” It is a remake of the 2003 Belgian film “The Memory of a Killer.”
Nearly 14 years since Liam Neeson took the cinematic world by storm in “Taken,” the Irish thespian adds yet another action installment to his successful career as an action movie star. This time around, the Hollywood A-lister navigates the life of a hired assassin suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Neeson plays Alex Lewis, a professional hit man struggling with advancing memory loss, impaired judgment and an inability to function fully. His new assignment? The nefarious villainess Davana Sealman (Monica Bellucci) has hired the assassin to obliterate any traces of evidence that would link her to a sex trafficking ring.
But when Alex discovers that the intended victim is 12-year-old Beatriz (Mia Sanchez), his moral compass tells him to abort the mission since he absolutely abhors hurting children. With this act of decency, he himself becomes a target in the criminal world.
But wait! Beatriz dies. Now, the plot thickens as Alex, himself, is not certain if he is the one who pulled the trigger. Perhaps FBI agent Vincent Serra (Guy Pearce) holds the key to solving the mystery.
See it. While the movie is formulaic, Neeson buoys “Memory” with dramatic gravitas and the unshakeable determination of a natural action man.
Watch the trailer.
“The Duke” — Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent; directed by Roger Michell
An entertaining and sweet swan song for the now-late British director Roger Michell, “The Duke” is a depiction of an unlikely-but-true story that took place in 1961, when sexagenarian Kempton Bunton stole a Goya painting of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London.
Jim Broadbent plays the role of Bunton, a 60-year-old English man who spends most of his waking hours writing a play about the death of his daughter, a tragic loss that Bunton and his wife, Dorothy (Helen Mirren), are still struggling to accept. But the couple’s lives are seemingly never dull as they banter endlessly, day in and day out.
One day, Bunton suddenly displays his outrage over a tax being imposed on British citizens who own a TV. Apparently, they have to pay a license to watch television broadcasts. Bunton finds it preposterous, as he believes it should be free for all, especially for older people.
How does he make his case to the whole nation? The newly purchased Goya painting gives him an idea. Why not steal it, then ask for a ransom money that will ultimately fund the TV licenses?
And so Bunton embarks on a mission to carry out the big heist of his life.
See it. The comedy is endearingly sweet. It will steal your heart in no time, especially after the heist.
