COLD PURSUIT (2019) ****

I know y’all aren’t watching Liam Neeson movies anymore, and that’s a damn shame because Cold Pursuit just might be the finest film of his latter-day career.  It hits all the notes you want to see from a Neeson revenge picture, but there’s a lot more going on here than just that.  It starts simplistically enough (Neeson is a snowplow driver who is out to avenge the death of his son by some unscrupulous drug dealers) before slowly revealing a grand canvas of violence begetting violence until the bodies begin piling up like cordwood.

It’s a terrific showcase for its supporting cast of colorful characters.  Many of these actors I have never heard of, but all of them shine brightly and leave memorable impressions in their brief screen time.  The best was the ever-reliable William Forsythe as Neeson’s ex-con brother.  

I also wasn’t expecting it to be so damned funny.  There are more laughs here than most recent TV comedies have in an entire season.  Imagine if the Coen Brothers, or maybe even ‘90s era Quentin Tarantino made a Liam Neeson actioner and it might’ve looked a lot like Cold Pursuit.  It’s full of quirky characters, surprising bursts of violence, and colorful dialogue.  The best part is the monologue by one of the villain’s goons about maids in hotels. 

Don’t fret die-hard Neeson fans.  The straightforward revenge stuff is still great.  Director Hans Petter Moland is smart enough not to skimp on the good stuff.  I especially loved how Neeson isn’t very good at killing people in the beginning.  When he murders a guy in a parking garage, he parks so far away that he has to drag the body a long way before putting it into his van.  Later, it takes him multiple tries to strangle a guy to death. 

He gets good at it really quick though.  Neeson gets this one guy all alone, pulls a gun on him, and proceeds to punch him with the gun.  That’s right, folks.  This movie features gun punching.

There are no wasted moments in Cold Pursuit.  Every scene builds on the last.  Each scene is surprising, unique, and morbidly funny in its own way.  By the time Neeson’s using heavy machinery to plant trees in the villain’s Tesla you got to tip your hat to the filmmakers.  They have taken a thoroughly standard action template and turned it into a fascinating, absurd, and unforgettable masterpiece.