You can see a mile off that this was made with Italian film grants: it's set in this fantasy Italy, superbly picturesque, in which everything is relaxed and everybody is super-nice and nurturing - except the bad guys, of course. You know, everything that kinda reminds you of what really matters in life. Just the place for your next hols. Less understandably, since there is no obvious link to Australia, it got Australian money too (presumably they had some Australian crew).
Like Liam Neasden with his 'certain set of skills', Denzel Washington has established his action persona with a success that would have seemed unlikely earlier in his career; but here he only gets a few fun moments with it, and the finale is decidedly underwhelming. I was convinced there must be another scene to come, but no. Compared to the other two it lacks impact. If, as he says, he is happy for this to be the last of the series, it suggests that he doesn't take its legacy terribly seriously.
On the plus side, it's a welcome surprise to see Catholic imagery play so big a part in a film, positively, without any sense of irony or any attempt to exploit it sensationally. I'm only a little disappointed that we didn't at some point get to see McColl reading the Summa Theologiae in Latin or something. He's so brainy, you know!
Like Liam Neasden with his 'certain set of skills', Denzel Washington has established his action persona with a success that would have seemed unlikely earlier in his career; but here he only gets a few fun moments with it, and the finale is decidedly underwhelming. I was convinced there must be another scene to come, but no. Compared to the other two it lacks impact. If, as he says, he is happy for this to be the last of the series, it suggests that he doesn't take its legacy terribly seriously.
On the plus side, it's a welcome surprise to see Catholic imagery play so big a part in a film, positively, without any sense of irony or any attempt to exploit it sensationally. I'm only a little disappointed that we didn't at some point get to see McColl reading the Summa Theologiae in Latin or something. He's so brainy, you know!