At 40,000 feet in a crowded airplane, one is limited in space and things to do. Some really enjoy flying, but many, however, don’t like it and think it's a drag. Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is on the latter side. Nonetheless, his job requires it. Marks is a US Federal Air Marshall. We see immediately that he has many personal problems. To start, he's an alcoholic. The opening scene even shows him taking a quick swig before boarding a transatlantic flight from New York to London. After boarding, he has a conversation with a middle-aged woman (Julianne Moore), revealing more personal issues in that he's divorced with an increasingly distant teenage daughter.
A couple hours into the flight, Bill receives a strange text message from an unknown passenger on the plane. The passenger says that he/she will kill someone on the plane every 20 minutes unless $150 million is transferred to a specific bank account. As the Air Marshall, it's up to Marks to find out who the text is from. . .and fast. As he gets more and more involved with the situation, he realizes the stranger may be up to something even more destructive than he previously thought. This is quite an interesting premise---one that does a fantastic job of hooking the audience and drawing them in to the thrilling "Non-Stop" ride.
First and foremost worth mentioning is Liam Neeson's performance. Since Taken, Neeson has made a name for himself as a "take-no-prisoners" tough guy. Non-Stop firmly reinforces this reputation. The 6'4", 61 year old actor proves himself yet again able to deliver a strong performance in the action genre. The Academy Award nominee has quickly become one of my favorite actors in recent years, and his performance in Non-Stop won't leave fans disappointed.
A couple hours into the flight, Bill receives a strange text message from an unknown passenger on the plane. The passenger says that he/she will kill someone on the plane every 20 minutes unless $150 million is transferred to a specific bank account. As the Air Marshall, it's up to Marks to find out who the text is from. . .and fast. As he gets more and more involved with the situation, he realizes the stranger may be up to something even more destructive than he previously thought. This is quite an interesting premise---one that does a fantastic job of hooking the audience and drawing them in to the thrilling "Non-Stop" ride.
First and foremost worth mentioning is Liam Neeson's performance. Since Taken, Neeson has made a name for himself as a "take-no-prisoners" tough guy. Non-Stop firmly reinforces this reputation. The 6'4", 61 year old actor proves himself yet again able to deliver a strong performance in the action genre. The Academy Award nominee has quickly become one of my favorite actors in recent years, and his performance in Non-Stop won't leave fans disappointed.
Liam Neeson's solid performance in Non-Stop is one of the strongest aspects of the film.
Another strong aspect of the film worth mentioning is the direction by Jaume Collet-Serra. This is the second film in which the Spanish director has teamed up with Liam Neeson, after 2011's Unknown. Throughout the film, Jaume's camera dollies in on several passengers---essentially making each one a suspect. Effectively, this keeps viewers guessing as to who is really sending the text messages to Marks. This camera work, combined with the interesting premess, keeps the audience on the edge of their seat until the final act of the film.
Ultimately, I think yet another potent aspect the film possesses is its message. I won’t reveal it, but I think its extremely relevant to the world today in regard to airline travel, especially in the wake of the disappearance of the Malyasian Airlines flight. It’s very coincidental the film was released so close to what many are calling “the greatest aviation mystery since Amelia Earhardt”.
In conclusion, Non-Stop is what its title suggests---a non-stop thrill ride to the very end. Fueled by a strong performance from Liam Neeson, his well-written, fleshed-out character Bill Marks, strong direction from Jaume Collet-Serra, and an intriguing premise, Non-Stop is a smart, solid early entry for 2014. It may not be an Oscar contender, but nonetheless will (hopefully) leave you thrilled and satisfied.
Written by Anthony Watkins
Ultimately, I think yet another potent aspect the film possesses is its message. I won’t reveal it, but I think its extremely relevant to the world today in regard to airline travel, especially in the wake of the disappearance of the Malyasian Airlines flight. It’s very coincidental the film was released so close to what many are calling “the greatest aviation mystery since Amelia Earhardt”.
In conclusion, Non-Stop is what its title suggests---a non-stop thrill ride to the very end. Fueled by a strong performance from Liam Neeson, his well-written, fleshed-out character Bill Marks, strong direction from Jaume Collet-Serra, and an intriguing premise, Non-Stop is a smart, solid early entry for 2014. It may not be an Oscar contender, but nonetheless will (hopefully) leave you thrilled and satisfied.
Written by Anthony Watkins
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