In recent times, Liam Neeson has made quite the name for himself as a hard-as-nails action star. From the growling Northern Irish accent to his icy cool demeanour, everything about the man and the way he carries himself lends itself to the phrase “ultimate screen badass.”
We’ve seen him bring the European sex trade to its knees in Taken and Taken 2 – the series that really put him on the map as far as action roles are concerned. He starred in the underrated affair that was The Grey, battling a pack of ravenous bloodthirsty wolves, Unknown saw him battling his way through a conspiracy that well and truly messed with his brain and Non-Stop saw him thwart a terrorist. You get the picture – you don’t mess with Liam Neeson.
So, it’s somewhat surprising (if not refreshing) to see him slam on the brakes, as it were, and take on a role drastically more subdued than we’ve become accustomed to, in Paul Haggis’ ensemble drama, Third Person.
And here at We Got This Covered, we have a new clip straight from the film to share with you. It doesn’t tell us too much about the narrative, per se, but we really get a feel for what tone we should expect. Neeson stars as a novelist entangled in an affair with a beautiful woman (Olivia Wilde) – the snippet of footage sees the pair try to figure out the next steps in their illicit relationship. It’s a downplayed, subtle piece of filmmaking – not something we’ve been able to attribute to Neeson as of late.
That being said we’re still remaining cautious about Third Person. After all, Haggis’ earlier Best Picture winner Crash is one of the most divisive films in recent memory – just like Marmite, you either love it or hate it. Unfortunately, the same could be said about Third Person, which has garnered polarizing reactions following its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. At least the stellar cast (which includes Mila Kunis, James Franco and Adrien Brody to name but a few) is giving us some reason to look forward to it.
