Killer (1994)

Director:

Mark Malone

Writers:

Gordon Melbourne (screenplay)
Mark Malone (story)

Release Date:

31 March 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Drama

Plot:

A professional assassin, having just "cleaned up" a botched "job," is pressured into another new assignment by his boss...

Plot Keywords:

Bare Chested Male | Tied To Bed | Neo Noir | Psychiatrist | Knife

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Anthony LaPaglia	...	Mick
Mimi Rogers	...	Fiona
Matt Craven	...	Archie
Peter Boyle	...	George
Monika Schnarre	...	Laura
Joseph Maher	...	Dr. Alstricht
Mark Acheson	...	Hellbig
Phil Hayes	...	FBI Agent (as Phillip Hayes)
Christopher Mark Pinhey	...	Partygoer
Claudio Masciulli	...	Partygoer (as Claudio De Victor)
Justine Priestley	...	Masseuse

Also Known As:

Bulletproof Heart

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Keystone Film Company (II)

Stylish but very flawed in terms of character development

Hitman Mick is approached by small time mobster George to do a rush job that night on a woman (Fiona) who has stolen a lot of money from various people. However when Mick arrives he finds that she is not only expecting him but is ready to be killed. Mick is enticed by her and starts to get to know her – falling under her mysterious spell and eventually finding what he feels is love in his otherwise dead world. However the time must come.

This film is very stylish. It begins with a `hit' that is slow and quiet while `love is all around' plays in the background. This style stays with the whole film as it manages to feel both stagy but also be a cool and slick piece of film. The problem is that this style isn't fully carried into the plot or the characters. While the story of a hitman falling for his victim or finding love isn't new I still want something more than the usual.

This is too straight forward and expects us to make huge leaps way too quickly in the film. The slick direction almost helps to conceal this – but not quite. The lack of character development in the two lead roles also weakens the film. LaPaglia can stare into the distance and act detached all he wants but his sudden fall into love is not easy to swallow at any point. He almost manages to hide this by `looking deep and lost' but not totally. Rogers swings from bubbly to scared to ready every 5 minutes and we never get to go beneath the surface with her. Boyle is OK if only because his performance brings the strengths out in his role without exposing the weaknesses.

Overall a stylish directing job and several really nice touches do not a great film make. The weakness in plot and character are evident from 15 minutes in ans stay there for the rest of the film. It's a shame – a better developed script and characters would have made this a much better film. Good but flawed.