Early in “Made in Italy,” a cringingly syrupy tale of overdue bonding between an estranged father and his only offspring, someone describes Liam Neeson’s character as “a selfish prick.” Thus we learn, even before Neeson has made his entrance, that the Irish star will be playing the polar opposite of the all-caring and ultra-capable dad of his hit “Taken” franchise.
Then again, no one would mistake firsttime writer-director James D’Arcy’s cliché-filled family melodrama as an extension of Neeson’s late-career reinvention as a badass action hero.“Made in Italy” marks a return to earlier, mellower roles for Neeson, who plays Robert, a former toast-of-the-town, now-struggling London artist leading a carefree lifestyle.
The actor makes his entrance looking unkempt, in urgent need of a shower and trim, barely able to remember his one-night-stand’s name.
Was it Jennifer or Jessica? D’Arcy’s script offers a generic backstory as
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