EVERY MOVIE HAS A LESSON

For wishful reasons beyond the exploitative ones, people want to believe in ghosts. They would be alright with even the creepiest voyeur version or novelty of that to be real. Why? Because the existence of ghosts would mean there’s something else out there after our inevitable deaths. A tangible afterlife creates massive spiritual implications that stir so many. Molding their fictional clay, movies love plucking that particular heartstring, and the new streaming film Endless follows that convention.

The Tax Collector feels like David Ayer’s 2 Samuel 1:27 moment for his current career. He elevated his settings and craft with Fury. He aimed behind his grasp with Suicide Squad. The “mighty have fallen.” That puts the stung and smeared David Ayer back to Los Angeles in a B-level movie and the three things he appears to be good at: 1) urban criminal underworlds, 2) seedy ethnic flavorings, and 3) spurts of graphic violence. These are his comfortable and dirty roots that brought forth Training Day, Dark Blue, Harsh Times, and End of Watch.

Actors are often asked by the many curious people fascinated by their work where they find the inspirations for the characters they play. Dropped by talk show hosts and adoring fans alike, it’s a common question, but a welcome open-ended one. The answers are almost always a fascinating blend of intentional craftsmanship and revealed individual quirks. If you know the personal history of Liam Neeson away from his tough and towering screen personas, you will know he, and his son Micheal Richardson, did not have to dig far for their characters in Made in Italy.