Review
Non-Stop (Action, Thriller) (2014)
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Writer: John W. Richardson, Chris Roach, Ryan Eagle
Stars: Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Lupita Nyong'o, Michelle Dockery
During a flight over the Atlantic Ocean, a U.S. air marshal faces a threat to the aircraft's passengers. Acting quickly, his goal is to neutralise the threat and ensure the safety of those on board.
Hitting the usual marks of any Neeson flick, Collet-Serra promises an action-packed thriller without much time to kill. He and Neeson have worked together before on 2011's "Unknown", which led to this subsequent collaboration. Filming began at York Studios in Maspeth, Queens, and continued at the Long Island MacArthur Airport and JFK Airport in New York City. It has been produced by TF1 Films Production, Silver Pictures, Anton Capital, Entertainment SCA, Canal+ and LoveFilm while being distributed by Universal Pictures in the U.S. and StudioCanal internationally.
Formerly a police officer, federal Air Marshal Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) copes with his daughter's untimely death through work and alcohol. Boarding a trans-Atlantic flight from New York to London, he soon starts receiving text messages claiming that every passenger on board is at risk if $150,000,000 isn't transferred to an offshore account before the plane lands. Unwilling to accept the demands or risk innocent lives, a cat-and-mouse game begins as Marks tries to pinpoint the person behind the threats.
Intent on making a film as thrilling as it is action-packed, Collet-Serra provides a spectacle, light on realism, that scratches the exact itch you'd expect from the grizzled Irishman on the poster.
With an unassuming intro, we're greeted by the familiar gruff voice of Neeson's Bill Marks, inevitably leading us into a captivating thrill. His disposition goes by without much information, a grieving father in a precarious mental state turning to alcohol to fight his internal demons. Despite that, Neeson is as charming as ever, taking his seat beside Julianne Moore's Jen Summers, who asked for a window seat. Together, the two form a connection, as they and the cabin crew investigate the aeroplane's passengers in a rather unsophisticated and rushed inquisition led by our unlikely "Taken" hero.
Held together by Jaume Collet-Serra's styling and Neeson's prowess as the eternal anti-hero, "Non-Stop" provides just enough star power in a by-the-numbers thriller. The time-sensitive plot within a limited location makes it as tense as it is implausible, which is acceptable for a flick such as this, and perhaps even what we tend to expect. Moore and Neeson play fairly well together, with her even being a suspect at some point. What is handled tremendously are the assumptions by the viewer, making you aware that you are being cleverly fooled and tricked intelligently in an aeroplane that is more akin to a tin of red herrings than a flying transport.
For a man with a particular set of skills, our lead seems as much on the back foot as the viewer, piecing this mystery together to avoid any bodies. The dishevelled, yet serious approach is a delight to purveyors of films featuring the stoic Irishman, with some familiar faces joining the flight. There's little time spent between the intense moments and calm dialogue, even featuring what might be one of the tightest melee scenes ever within the lavatory. A quiet departure turns into a flight to remember when Neeson was still quite capable and not holding any punches.
Verdict
The marshal matters.
7,0
