Hit Man
Introduction
If you were to tell me that Hit Man would be the pick of the weekend, I would have scoffed. This is simply because the film wasn’t on my radar until the eleventh hour. And what instantly caught my attention was the director of the film Richard Linklater, the man behind films like the Before Sunset series, Waking Lives or the recent animated flick Apollo 10 1/5. But the beauty often lies in going into a movie blind, simply because you are giving the film a chance to express itself in the most unfiltered manner. And isn’t that the whole point of cinema?? With Hit Man, a film based on the psychological perceptions of an individual and how an unassuming side hustle transforms him into a different personality was quite an outing. I don’t recall watching a rom-com which is packaged as a black comedy to suit tastebuds that return for more of it. And Hit Man is that film. Does it manage to impress in totality, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Based on a novel, Hit Man follows the story of a nerdy professor whose life(and his personality) completely changes as he opts for a moonlighting side hustle of pretending to be a Hit Man while causing arrests of his potential ‘clients’. The scenario though changes when he falls in love with one of his clients. The story here is a classic case of a black comedy presenting itself in a psychological Rom-Com that is trippy and twisted while often highlighting the gradually shifting personality of the protagonist. And it makes a strong case for one of the few unique films that I may have watched this year! The screenplay standing at a shade under 120 minutes is fast-paced while presenting a compelling case study in the complex life and personality of the protagonist that almost undergoes a personality development course through his side-hustle. This, while it also questions the morality of the thought of procrastinating a murder versus committing one yourself.
The drama opens with the introduction of the protagonist who is a nerdy college professor of psychology to the point that his own students find him mundane and boring. As a side hustle, he does help the police department in assisting the ‘Hitman’, an individual who pretends to be one while trying to frame his client wishing to hire him for murder. This, until his life changes when he gets to play that ‘Hitman’, a job that he weirdly begins to enjoy while assisting the arrests through the confessions of his clients. What this side hustle of his does is slow change the personality of his inner self, even as he comes off as being even more confident while enacting the various ‘roles’ as per the background of his client.
The proceedings provide a meta reference into the lives of actors who practically do the same thing(as that of the protagonist posing as a Hitman) wherein the lines begin to blur between the reel person and the real person. This is further amplified when the protagonist falls in love with one of his clients, which later he termed as ‘Love at first sight’. Their first meetup does resemble a playful coffee date even though there is an underlying seriousness to the occasion given how his client wishes to kill her husband(even though she is soon to be divorced). There is a genuine spark in their relationship that takes the form of a raging fire, even as they begin a conflicted affair with the protagonist pretending to be ‘Ron’, a hitman whom Madison lusts for given her fancy for men with guns. This, despite the protagonist haven’t had anyone murdered.
The complexities of this relationship is often hidden from the rest of the world even as the protagonist enjoys being Ron, something that causes a drastic change in his personality in class too where his students find him hotter. The twisted relationship though takes a dark turn that eventually forces the protagonist to leap to the darker side of things. But thankfully for him, he takes with him his changed personality that eventually sees his life completely change, for the better or for the worse. I could bet that the portions between the final act and the outro, resembled the Malayalam/Hindi film Drishyam in an uncanny way but more importantly, it does also raise a question on morality versus your desired life at a psychological level. This, even as the elements of dark comedy are well infused in the screenplay which is extremely well written.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are sharp with multiple witty one-liners that will command your attention, even as you will find yourself chuckling and laughing at them through the situations that play out. The BGM is pretty good and does its bit in enhancing the drama at various junctures. The cinematography is excellent capturing frames that tell a story which in turn adds to the black comedy, something that is the flavour of the drama. The editing is taut and does a great job in retaining the core emotions of the drana. Director Richard Linklater does an incredible job in presenting a black comedy in a rather breezy manner which consistently focusing on the shifting dynamics of the personality of the protagonist. This, while also controlling the situational dark humour that contributes to the foundation of the drama. The direction is excellent here.
Performances
The performances are incredibly good by the ensemble cast. Evan Holtzman as Ray, Sanjay Rao as Phil and Retta as Claudette have their moments to shine. Austin Amelio as Jasper is subtly conniving and does an incredible job. Adria Arjona as Madison looks absolutely gorgeous and has such a playful energy to her performance. There are undercurrents of being kinky that would make any person fall for her, even though she tries to put up an inmocent act which was the duality of her incredible act. She was a treat to watch. Glen Powell as Gary is brilliant to the core, almost nailing his one-liners and presenting a meta-reference by equating his character to an actor who dons multiple hats. His body language is wonderfully presented as a shifting sense of dynamics packaged in a memorable outing by him.
Conclusion
Hit Man is a breezy black comedy packaged as an absurdly hilarious thriller that wonderfully focuses on the shifting dynamics of the personality of the protagonist, thereby making it a brilliant watch. Available on Netflix and Highly Recommended.
