Alex Lewis is a contract killer living in Mexico. He is suffering from early onset dementia, but a combination of medication and his own condition management techniques have so far allowed him to continue to work effectively.
Alex's latest job includes two assassinations. The first is Ellis Van Camp, who has made a copy of information that the criminal cartels do not want revealed. Alex completes this kill and collects the information ... but then discovers that his second target is a young girl. He refuses the job, stating his conviction that kids are off-limits.
Of course, the cartel (a) has other assassins, and (b) very little patience for a hitman who doesn't perform his assigned hits. Alex finds himself in a battle both with his former employers, and with the FBI, who have linked him to the killings.
Can one aging man with a debilitating disease really find some kind of positive outcome to this situation?
Memory is chapter I'm-not-sure-what of Liam Neeson's "Deadly Grandad" career arc. And hey, more power to the guy: he's had a lot of success in the action drama. This film, however, is not one of those successes. This is not in any way Neeson's fault, mind you. His performance is as solid as always, and - speaking as someone whose father suffered from the same condition - his depiction of early onset dementia felt authentic.
The film's problems are with the script. First of all, it lacks a villain that's engaging. Monica Bellucci would absolutely be up to the task if given the opportunity, but she is simply not on screen enough to do so, and the movie fails to prevent any other alternative. While the film is not short of bad guys to hate, it doesn't give any of them the depth or opportunity to really engage the audience, or put them in a situation where they can be overcome in a satisfying climax.
The film's problems are with the script. First of all, it lacks a villain that's engaging. Monica Bellucci would absolutely be up to the task if given the opportunity, but she is simply not on screen enough to do so, and the movie fails to prevent any other alternative. While the film is not short of bad guys to hate, it doesn't give any of them the depth or opportunity to really engage the audience, or put them in a situation where they can be overcome in a satisfying climax.
More generally, the film is drab and grim and a bit depressing. Its thesis appears to be that the wealthy have the resources to ensure that the law does not apply to them, so the only way to punish such people is with vigilante violence. I understand the frustration of the feeling that the rich are immune to the consequences of their bad actions, but there are better approaches to addressing this than murder.
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