Writer/Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona and Austin Amelio
‘A Captivating Classic’
Not many actors in Hollywood have created a career as successful as Glen Powell. Since his rise to recognition in the 2000’s, Powell has become an icon. Whether it’s tornado chasers, hit men or soaring aviators, Powell has played many characters. Arguably, Powell’s greatest strength as an actor is charisma. Powell has always been one of those rare actors with the abilities to create powerful characters through his charisma. Shining bright light in darkness, Powell has become one of the most renowned actors in the modern entertainment business. A movie-star which has boundless charisma, Powell has proven to be a celebrated icon in Cinema. Through his ability to portray a wide range of characters that are compelling, the commemorated actor has built a legacy which has proven to be lasting. Being a charismatic actor with a powerful presence, Powell has built an incomparable legacy which is iconic. Throughout his long-lasting career, Powell has appeared in many unforgettable movies which are definitely without a single doubt worth watching.
Now, Powell is back on the big-screen and his strengths are clearly evident in “Hit Man”. An entertaining, thoughtful and spellbinding crime thriller, it offered an engaging depiction of a hit man. Packed with strong production, engaging storytelling and phenomenal acting, it’s one of the best movies of the year. At the centre of it all is an extraordinary performance from Glenn Powell, who embodies a contract hitman on a mission. Ultimately, what makes “Hit Man” an engaging film is its message. Unlike most films about hit men, it tackles strong themes which everyone would relate to. The movie delivers a meaningful message about dangers caused by committing con crimes which would resonate with everyone. Although “Hit Man” is a riveting movie, ultimately it isn’t a flawless movie. It’s unevenly paced, building toward a predictable conclusion. That being said, it offers engaging entertainment that fans of Glenn Powell won’t be able to resist.
Based on a true story, “Hit Man” tells a story of a professor which moonlights as a threatening hitman. Glenn Powell portrays Gary Johnson, a psychology professor with strong dedication to providing an education. Gary has always been careful to avoid troubles focusing on doing his jobs. However, Gary’s life drastically changes when he’s tasked with becoming a dangerous hitman facing disaster. Adopting a fake alias, Gary keeps his criminal activities a secret by using a made up identity. Gary’s job becomes complicated when he falls in love with a client of his work. Madison (Adria Arjona) is a clever woman with a seductive personality. Madison lures Gary into a destructive romance which is destined to experience tragedy. As all the odds are stacked against his favour, Gary begins to wonder whether it will truly possible for him to be a hit man. Faced with a dilemma, Gary feels his job may cost him opportunities to be truly successful in America.
Richard Linklater is a newcomer towards the stories of hitmen. Before he directed “Hit Man”, Linklater had never made a movie about lives of hit men in his career. It was the filmmaker’s first attempt to capture the lives of hitmen that commit serious crimes facing destruction, but he succeeded tremendously. Through stunning cinematography, Linklater captures a hit man embarking upon a journey to discover identity. Visually, the film is a stunning feast for eyes as stunning as crimes which hitmen endeavour to organize. Linklater effectively uses montages to capture hitmen committing crimes causing consequences that are terrifying. For instance, montages enhance the hit man scene. During this unforgettable scene, Gary dresses up to be a clever hit man disguising himself to be a mischievous killer. One appreciates montages capturing the hardships that hit men always go through. Montages are tricky techniques to use effectively in films. As “Boyhood” claimed clearly, montages elevate coming of age films about growing up. “Before Sunrise” suggested montages elevate romantic dramas. However, it worked tremendously in this movie. Through engaging visuals, Linklater captures hardships that hit men committing crimes are commonly facing.
Another admirable aspect of “Hit Man” that’s worth discussing is production design. From a technical perspective, the movie is extremely well made. Linklater effectively uses costumes to showcase a hitman that constantly changes his appearance to commit gruesome violence. Throughout the film, Linklater effectively uses costumes to capture the transformation faced by hitmen. Gary’s costumes showcase his bold transformation into a hitman. For instance, the costumes elevate the interview scene. During this unforgettable scene, Gary dresses up as a fake hit man to meet up with a drug dealer in a nightclub. One appreciates stunning costumes capturing the lifestyles of hitmen. Furthermore, the musical score is magnificent. It gives the movie a tense atmosphere capturing a painful burden that hitmen bear. Using extraordinary production-design, Linklater captures lives of commemorated hitmen that experience a decline.
Storytelling is one of the primary reasons why “Hit Man” is a captivating classic about hitmen that’s compelling. The film is beautifully written and successfully uses voice over narration to capture conflicted hitmen that endure tension. Linklater’s screenwriting strength is capturing the lives of hitmen facing tension using voice-over narration. Throughout the movie, Gary expresses his viewpoints on the hitman job by voice over narration. For instance, narration elevates the opening scene. During this tense scene, Gary expresses his feeling of anxieties of being an undercover agent moonlighting as a hitman. One recognizes voice-over narration capturing the lives of hitmen enduring tension. Voice-over narration is not an easy technique to use effectively in films. As Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” demonstrated, narration elevates classic gangster films. Frank Darabont’s “The Shawshank Redemption” suggested narration elevates movies about prison. Nevertheless, it works tremendously in this movie. Through an exceptional screenplay, Linklater captures the lives of commemorated hitmen that experience a painful price to pay.
One appreciates amazing performances.
Glenn Powell delivers one of his finest career performances as Gary Johnson. Powell first achieved appreciation for portraying aviators. With “Hit Men”, however, he took on his most complex role. It isn’t simple to portray intense hardships faced by hitmen which change their appearance, but he succeeded tremendously. This is the actor unlike you’ve ever seen him in the past before: intense, charismatic and truly menacing in his most iconic role. With riveting expressions, he captures angst, determination and resentment of a hitman committing crimes with severe repercussions. It’s a phenomenal performance from one of the greatest actors working today.
The supporting cast is sensational and also deserves appreciation. Adria Arjona is terrific, capturing the charisma of a woman facing a dilemma when she falls in love with a hitman causing trauma. Austin Amelio is astonishing, capturing the sorrow of a contract killer that’s let go of his job causing life to hit a crushing low. Finally, Sanjay Rao merits appreciations. As a technician supporting crimes committed by hitmen, he brings hilarious comical relief to the movie.
Finally; “Hitman” will earn the appreciation of everyone for capturing hitmen which endure destruction. Unlike most movies about lives of hitmen, it tackles universal themes everyone would relate to. It discusses strong themes of identity, marriage and crimes which definitely resonate with everyone. The movie delivers an engaging message about the life-threatening dangers posed by double crossing identities which resonate with everyone. Therefore, “Hitman” is one of those rare movies about hitmen everyone will adore.
Although “Hitman” is undeniably an entertaining film, ultimately it isn’t flawless. If there’s a minor drawback to the movie, it suffers from uneven pacing. Linklater’s decisions to integrate romantic subplots into the movie is bold but doesn’t succeed. Due to this faulty decision, the scenes focusing on Gary’s romantic encounters with Madison aren’t always as engaging as his hitmen dealings. Romantic subplots appear suited to espionage blockbusters rather than hitmen movies. As Linklater’s “Before” trilogy suggested, romantic subplots belong in serious dramas rather than crime movies. Therefore, “Hit Man” falls short of expectations.
Nevertheless, fans of Glen Powell will definitely appreciate “Hitman” and so will movie-goers that seek tense entertainment. A captivating classic, it honoured an actor that has built a legacy that is iconic.
A captivating tribute towards a real-life hitman that committed shocking crimes getting away with adopting false identities to become a hitman that’s terrifying, it’s a riveting reminder of an actor that has built a lasting legacy earning a huge following for his abilities to portray larger-than-life characters which are compelling whose spellbinding movies that always entertain are definitely without a single doubt worth celebrating.
4.5/5 stars
The Film Buff 