The Mongoose: A Chase That Never Shifts Gear
Ryan "Fang" Flanagan (Liam Neeson) is a decorated war hero linked to a murder. He does not wait to be arrested. He floors a powerful car and runs. His reasoning is simple. Surrender, and he loses his only chance to prove his innocence. Director Mark Vanselow builds the whole film on that one decision, from a script by Thompson Evans. The film opens mid-chase, and that is its best choice. There is no long set-up and no backstory dump. The story follows the road, and the road keeps moving. Tara (Marisa Tomei), Fang's former wife, arrives to talk him into giving himself up. She is the film's emotional anchor. Tomei plays her without drama. Tara fears for him, and she also understands why he will not stop. Major Walter Pope (Michael Chiklis) leads the pursuit. Chiklis gives Pope a stubborn, procedural weight. He is not a villain. He is a man doing his job against someone he cannot easily dislike. Tanker (Ving Rhames) brings the old battalion into play. Fang's for...