He could be looking at some serious awards attention.
Over 40 years into his career, and Liam Neeson hasn't won an Oscar, or even a Golden Globe.
He's been nominated for the former (for Schindler's List), and nominated three times for the latter (List again, as well as Michael Collins and Kinsey), and admittedly his career of late has taken him down the action-thriller route, which award-givers tend not to take very seriously.
But while it doesn't seem like he is going to be hanging up his action hat just yet (his IMDb page shows at least three more action-thrillers currently in production), he does seem to be picking more and more "serious" fare, and one of those picks is
Ordinary Love, which recently had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The movie is directed by Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Lyburn (who also co-directed another great Belfast shot and set movie, Good Vibrations), and it tells the story of a quiet husband (Neeson) and his fierce wife (Lesley Manville, best known for playing Daniel Day-Lewis' spiky sister in Phantom Thread), and how their decades-long loving marriage is thrown into turmoil when she is diagnosed with cancer.
Here are some of the early reviews following its premiere at the TIFF:
Screen Daily: "An achingly intimate portrait of a marriage weathering a storm ... what shines is the combination of Owen McCafferty’s stingingly honest screenplay and the two lovely, emotionally textured central performances."
The Hollywood Reporter: "As quiet and thoughtfully composed as a Dutch master's painting, Ordinary Love uses clean lines and well observed tiny details to build up a deeply moving, nuanced portrait of a marriage under strain after a cancer diagnosis."
Variety: "David Holmes and Brian Irvine’s score is melodic and insistent, and it knows when to fall away into silence to let the audience appreciate Neeson and Manville’s superb chemistry."
The Guardian: "Acted with impeccable intelligence and sensitivity by Lesley Manville and Liam Neeson. And although there are some slightly stereotypical weepie moments, the film has a strong sense of emotional purpose and Manville and Neeson bring conviction and force."
No trailer available yet, but Ordinary Love is currently scheduled for release in Irish cinemas on Friday 6 December this year, and that end-of-year release date, as well as the high-profile festival debuts, would indicate they are hoping for some serious awards attention.
