COLD PURSUIT

UK/Norway/Canada, 2019, 119 minutes, Colour.
Liam Neeson, Tom Bateman, Tom Jackson, Laura Dern, William Forsythe, Emmy Rossum, Micheal Richardson, David O' Hara.
Directed by Hans Petter Moland.

Here is Liam Neeson again in an action show. However, the origins of Cold Pursuit are in the Norwegian film which screened at festivals, Kraftidioten, which was released around the world and screened on Australian television as In Order of Disappearance. The director was Hans Petter Moland, Norwegian. Cold Pursuit is a North American remake, most if it filmed in Canada, the province of Alberta, with some photography in Norway itself.

This is not a film festival entry. Rather, it is a popular action show for the multiplexes. Liam Neeson has shown an aptitude for this kind of film with the Taken series and many other action films. Once again, he is the strong silent type, physically strong, not particularly communicative, but, when faced with the tragic murder of his son by heroin overdose, he becomes a vigilante bent on vengeance. (If one notices that the actor playing the son resembles his father, that is true, it is Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson’s son, Micheal.)

While there are many, many vigilante films, this one is more complex than usual. While the central character does take justice into his own hands and is quite ruthless in the confrontations, in the killings, and the planned disposal of the bodies, the screenplay also makes points about the power of wealthy criminals, their entourage of thugs, the drug agents and supervisors, the dealers, the exploitation of willing drug customers, especially the wealthy.

Neeson is Nels Coxman, named citizen the of the year in his Canadian town of Kehoe, three hours’ drive from Denver. He explains that he has taken the right road in life, the same road, with his extraordinary snowplough and his commission to make sure the roads are clear. (And, with such a huge snowplough, we know that it will have a significant role in the final confrontation).

Coxman’s wife (Laura Dern) is hit hard by the death of her son and her feeling that they had never known who he really was. She abandons her husband.

In the meantime, there are quite some plot complexities in the portrait of the arch-villain, his nickname of The Viking, a next-generation criminal, well-dressed, well-educated, a health-fanatic imposing extraordinary diets on his young son, who also presumes that there are codes for criminal dealings and that all criminals should abide by them. He is divorced and shares custody of his son who goes to a private school. This, of course, will lead to justice issues with Coxman having lost his son and using the Viking’s son for a confrontation. In fact, the young boy, proves to be an interesting and strong character in himself.

But, that would be too straightforward. The Viking suspects that the killer of his agents is a Native American Indian his father did deals thirty years earlier for territories with The Viking’s father. This leads to strong eye for an eye vengeance, highlighting the drug networks around Denver and in the ski resorts, leading to the death of the chief’s, White Bull’s, son.

And, not only that, Coxman getting advice from his former criminal brother (William Forsythe) about hiring a hitman, The Iceman – who goes to The Viking to sell the information, only to receive The Viking’s lethal disapproval of such a betrayal.

There are some sub-plot elements about race relationships between Native Americans and white Americans – and an ironic verbal mixup when the Indians want to book into a luxury hotel and are told that they should have reservations!

Cold Pursuit honours the English-language title of the original film, In Order of Disappearance, regular cards coming up with the names of the ever-increasing number of the deceased.

The film is much as one might expect from a Liam Neeson vengeance action show – but the morality is more complex than usual.

1. A Liam Neeson action adventure, vigilante story, violent and brutal, complexities of situations and motivations?

2. The work of the director, his Scandinavian version, this American adaptation? The relatively different titles?

3. Colorado, the city of Kehoe, the city of Denver, the mountains, the winter snow, the ploughs, the resorts? Mansions, homes, offices? The musical score?

4. The original title, In Order of Disappearance, and the regular cards coming up throughout the film with the names of the deceased?

5. Nels Coxman’s world? His wife, his being silent, preparing for the award, his speech, his relationship with his son, hunting with him, the news of the death, his grief, his wife and her withdrawal, leaving him? The note with nothing on it? His work, the plough, clearing the roads of snow? His pride in his work, the road that he chose?

6. The information about the drugs, the audience seeing the treatment of the son, the injection, his being propped up dead at the restaurant? Speedo and the other members of the gang, abduction, Dante escaping, the injection, the nightclub and there way of life?

7. Nels and Dante, his going to the garage? The explanation of taking the drugs, his son not involved? The name of Speedo? Tracking him down, the confrontation, killing him, wrapping the body, the waterfall? Further names, Limbo and the shop, bridalwear? His death? The name of Santa, at the airport, his car, confronting him with the plough, destroying the drugs?

8. The further information, going to his brother, information about The Viking? Wanting a hitman? The information about the Iceman? Meeting with him? Handing over the money? The Iceman going to visit The Viking, the money deal, The Viking killing Iceman, disloyalty to contracts?

9. Nels’ brother, Wingman, his wife, from the massage parlour, her dominance, later going to his grave and walking off in a huff? His final ride with The Viking, his past work with the drug dealers, his death?

10. The character of The Viking, his father creating an empire, his ex-wife, his son, the issues of diet, schooling, his achievement, custody issues? His being a psychopath yet his being a stickler for rules? The range of henchmen, the jokey man and the $20 bill and the maids, the homosexual relationship of the two men, the entourage?

11. Drug dealing in Colorado, the region, dividing the areas, the Native American Indians, White Bull and his deal with Viking’s father?

12. The Viking making the wrong decision about the Indians, killing the son, hanging him on the signpost? The Indians and their rituals, revenge? The Viking killing the gay man and, sending his head in a box, White Bull not accepting it, killing the messenger?

13. The issue of sons, Coxman’s son, White Bull’s son, The Viking’s son? The Indians keeping watch, preparing for the kidnap? Nels, planning the kidnap, taking the boy home, telling him stories and reading, let him drive? Hiding him in the house? The boy’s escape?

14. The Indians, going to the hotel, the reaction about the Reservation? Out on the slopes and the skiing?

15. The Viking, the phone call to Nels, driving? His ex-wife thinking he had kidnapped the boy? Taking the thugs?

16. The buildup to the confrontation, the shootouts, the many deaths? Survivors? The Viking killed in his car by White Bull? White Bull and Nels and their driving?

17. A moral world, an amoral an immoral world? Activity within such a world?