At a film festival like La Biennale di Venezia, expectations are higher than at any other movie event. Not only is the anticipation for most of the films tremendously high, but the quality of the movies usually garners hundreds of nominations throughout the awards season. Therefore, it’s, to say the least, strange to see In the Land of Saints and Sinners in the lineup, a Robert Lorenz flick starring Liam Neeson. Both worked together in The Marksman, just another one of those forgettable generic films that we see year in, year out.

In the Land of Saints and Sinners doesn’t exactly fit into that category, but it doesn’t stand out as much as it should either. To some extent, it kind of surprised me, taking into account my low expectations. Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane’s screenplay follows a rather formulaic premise. Finbar Murphy (Neeson) is just another ordinary citizen of a remote town in Ireland, with a quiet, serene life, but after the arrival of a group of terrorists, Finbar is forced to put his secret job on the line for the sake of his friends and neighbors.

In The Land of Saints and Sinners Critique

Also Read: Poor Things Venice Film Festival Review

A typical game of cat-and-mouse seen countless times before. In the Land of Saints and Sinners doesn’t reinvent the wheel, remaining a superficial story throughout its whole runtime. It doesn’t explore its themes beyond the basics, nor does it deepen the motivations of the antagonists and secondary characters, nor does it help to place the viewers without knowledge of historical Irish events that, apparently, are essentially linked to the terrorist acts. The plot’s predictability also doesn’t contribute to a more engaging watch.

That said, one could state In the Land of Saints and Sinners doesn’t try to be more than what it actually is. I understand that this can be considered a lame excuse for a movie that failed to deliver anything impactfully new, but the truth is that I never got that intention from Lorenz, that is, to leave viewers stunned with potentially thought-provoking sociopolitical commentary. Instead, the filmmaker chooses to merely entertain the audience with a simple but effective crime-thriller. And, in this regard, I’d argue that it manages to deliver a fast-paced flick without major complexities, and even with a couple of visually more shocking moments.

Tom Stern (The Ice Road), director of photography, takes advantage of the Irish landscapes to construct immersive, quite pleasant transitions. The technical standout, however, goes to Great Garbo’s (The Reformer Zwingli) score. The background music is so beautiful, sweet, and inspiring that I honestly believe it might be too good for In the Land of Saints and Sinners. At certain points, it genuinely gives the feeling of overpowering the story and performances, offering more emotional value to scenes that don’t ask for such a rich layer.

IN THE LAND OF SAINTS AND SINNERS utilizes the beautiful Irish landscapes, a truly sweet score & excellent performances to elevate a formulaic, predictable, thematically superficial game of cat-and-mouse. Better than expected? I guess so. #InTheLandOfSaintsAndSinners #Venezia80 pic.twitter.com/RxLInlzWCZ

— Manuel São Bento @ #Venezia80 (@msbreviews) September 6, 2023

Speaking of the actors, brilliant displays by the entire cast, with Neeson, Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin), and Ciarán Hinds (The Wonder) delivering what was expected of experienced, incredibly talented actors. In fact, it’s Jack Gleeson who captures most of my attention, as this is the first time the actor has been seen in a more meaningful role since Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones. He once again portrays a character with a high degree of madness and frightening ease in killing, but this time, there’s a layer of kindness and compassion hidden somewhere within him.

No character is really explored in-depth, and even the protagonist doesn’t escape the characteristics of the usual archetype. From the intimate proximity he shouldn’t have with certain people to his special abilities with no background to explain them, Finbar is a protagonist who begins to feel the weight of his sins, wishing peace for what’s left of his life. But the title In the Land of Saints and Sinners seems to be just that: empty words with no greater meaning, as Lorenz and his screenwriters decide to leave the interesting study of these notions to others.

In Conclusion

In the Land of Saints and Sinners utilizes the stunning Irish landscape, a remarkably immersive score, and excellent performances to elevate a formulaic, predictable, thematically shallow narrative. Robert Lorenz doesn’t try to make his movie more of what it truly is, relying on simple, direct, fast-paced entertainment value to satisfy most audiences. It won’t impress anyone, but it’s also not in a position to generate mass disappointment. In the end, it turned out to be surprisingly better than expected.

6/10

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