• ALL
  • NEWS
    • GAY MOVIE/ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
    • GAY FILM TRAILERS
    • GENERAL MOVIE NEWS & TRAILERS
  • GAY SHORTS & SERIES
  • REVIEWS
    • GAY FILM REVIEWS
    • CINEMA REVIEWS
    • DVD & BLU-RAY REVIEWS
  • BGPS BLOG
  • COMPS
  • ABOUT
    • Contact Us
    • Join The Team
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Gays On Film – A Short History

Big Gay Picture Show

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema and more

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema & more

The Liability (Cinema)

May 17, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Tim Roth, Jack O'Connell, Peter Mullan, Talulah Riley
Director: Craig Viveiros
Running Time: 82 mins
Certificate: 15

After a run-in with his nasty brute of a stepfather (Peter Mullan), 19-year-old Adam (Jack O’Connell) is sent to chauffeur a taciturn man called Roy (Tim Roth) up north. Adam doesn’t know what they’re supposed to be doing, but it soon becomes apparent Roy is a hitman who’s keen to give up the game. They’re heading to a rendezvous with a Latvian man who Roy has been hired to kill, while making it look like a local serial killer who’s been chopping off people’s hands did it.

Things get complicated when a woman (Talulah Riley) comes across them just after Roy has committed the dirty deed. She’s a loose end that could possibly see both of them in jail, and so protocol says she needs to be killed too. Things aren’t as simple as they seem though, as Adam may not have just been sent to chauffeur and the woman who witnesses what they’re up to may not be a random passer-by.

The Liability is an intriguing movie that doesn’t quite work. It attempts to balance various different genres and ideas but rather than pulling together into something entertaining and cohesive, they all feel a bit disparate and as if the film isn’t quite sure what it’s doing. One moment it’s incredibly dark and nasty, the next it’s essentially a slow indie art film. There are scenes of pitch black comedy (it’s a shame there aren’t more, as these are the most effective bits of the film) and others where it feels like it’s slipping into generic gangster territory. Sometimes films can balance multiple styles, but with The Liability they tend to work against one another.

Roth and O’Connell make a decent pair, which is a good job as fairly long stretches of the movie involve them driving around talking. However what they’re surrounded by is watchable but a little unbalanced. It doesn’t help that even though it’s only 82 minutes long, there are chunks that feel like they’re slow padding, not least the beginning. Peter Mullan is a great actor, but the 15 minutes where he’s running around being a nasty piece of work at the start feels laboured. We get everything we need to know in about five minutes, and then it’s just sitting around waiting for the film proper to start.

The Liability is certainly not all bad, but it’s not great either.

Overall Verdict: A brave attempt to make a dark Brit thriller that offers something different, but it’s different style and genres elements don’t come together. Tim Roth is good though.

Reviewer: Tim Isaac

Wanna share?:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Flipboard
  • More
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print
  • Pocket
  • WhatsApp
Overall Rating 5outof10

Related

Filed Under: CINEMA REVIEWS

Leave a Reply (if comment does not appear immediately, it may have been held for moderation) Cancel reply

Search this site:

We're Needy, Be Our Friend

RSSTwitterFacebookStumbleUponMySpace

E-maily Stuff

Get the latest in our daily e-mail

Most Recent Posts

Young Hunter Trailer – First teen gay love takes a dark turn into blackmail

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Trailer – The hit gay, drag West End musical is coming to the screen

Iris Prize Festival LGBT+ International Short Films 2020 – Part 3 (Short Film Reviews)

Iris Prize Festival LGBT+ International Short Films 2020 – Part 2 (Short Film Reviews)

Iris Prize Festival LGBT+ International Short Films 2020 – Part 1 (Short Film Reviews)

The Scottish Queer International Film Festival 2020 Has Opened, & It’s Online Across The UK

The Iris Prize LGBT Short Film Festival Returns Next Week, & It’s Online & Free!

An Apology From Big Gay Picture Show

Win The Miseducation of Cameron Post DVD & Book!

Seventeen Trailer – The vagaries of teen romance erupt in the lesbian-themed film

My Best Friend Trailer – Gay romance flickers between two teen boys

New Sauvage Trailer – The gay prostitute movie that divided Cannes is coming soon

Copyright © 2023 Muser Media · Powered by WordPress & Genesis Framework · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're OK with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Read More Accept Reject
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT