Absolution Review: Drama and Action

In Absolution, Liam Neeson plays Thug, an aging Boston gangster steeped in violence and crime. But Thug is diagnosed with a terminal illness and is forced to confront his past. In particular, he must be forgiven by his estranged daughter Daisy, a single mother struggling to provide for her children. Thug also wants to repair his relationship with his grandson, though their relationship remains underdeveloped and never fully resolved. Even more tragic is the story of Thug's deceased son, whose apparent sexuality troubled the gangster. We learn that the son died of a drug overdose, but this subplot involving a gay family was dropped almost as soon as it was introduced.