Marlowe Review: This Neil Jordan-Liam Neeson combo fails to deliver

Here we have Liam Neeson starring in his 100th film in and as Marlowe

Hyderabad: Just a few days ago, Cheteshwar Pujara played one of his best innings under pressure to guide India to a test win against Australia in his 100th test match. Here we have Liam Neeson starring in his 100th film in and as Marlowe. No such heroics this time around though.

To the uninitiated, this neo-noir film is based on Raymond Chandler’s character Philip Marlowe. It promised so much. And yet, that’s all it does.

It is 1939 – Los Angeles. Marlowe gets a visit from a blonde Clare (Diane Kruger) who hires him to find her lover Nico Peterson (François Arnaud) who is a prop master in a studio in Hollywood.

Marlowe asks tough questions including what her husband, Cavendish (Patrick Muldoon), has to say about all this.

Marlowe is informed by his former colleague and friend Bernie (Colm Meaney) that Nico was killed in a hit and run outside an exclusive club – too exclusive for Marlowe’s liking. Clare insists that she saw Nico a few days after the alleged hit and run. The manager of the club, Floyd Hanson, (Danny Huston) disapproves of Marlowe snooping around.

Marlowe also runs into Clare’s mother Dorothy Quincannon, (Jessica Lange) a famous actress, and a powerful studio boss Ambassador (Mitchell Mullen), both of whom have their share of secrets.

Also thrown into the mix are a nightclub owner Lou Hendricks (Alan Cumming), his chauffeur, Cedric (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and Nico’s half-sister Lynn (Daniela Melchior), who identifies Nico’s body and insist that he is dead.

Is Nico really dead, what secrets are people hiding, will things add up in the end or are they in their own space separate conspiracies is what the film is about.

Director Neil Jordan ensures the premise is crisp. Tragically he loses his plot after the first ten minutes. The cast, including Neeson, are too artificial. The film fails to transition into a smooth narrative.

There is a scene in the movie where Diane Kruger says “A puzzle has many pieces. I am afraid what you will find.” Tragically Neil Jordan does not find his puzzle pieces. The sub-plots fall flat. The flow is hindered.

The film has its moments though including the one where an actress, Amanda, (Seána Kerslake), is questioned by Marlowe and the one where Marlowe chases Lynn in a labyrinth crypt. Though 111 minutes, it seems longer. Neeson is a miscast in the outing. This Neil Jordan – Neeson combo fails to deliver on the third time outing.

Marlowe is just bland, soulless and missable.