Hit Man (2023)
When you watch enough movies, you start
to get a pretty reliable sense of where they're going. A movie doesn't have to
be surprising or unpredictable to be good or even great (a child could guess
where Raiders of the Lost Ark is headed narratively). But it's a rare
treat for longtime cinephiles to watch a movie where you think "I am genuinely
unsure how this movie is going to end." Director Richard Linklater has recently
served up such a film with the dark romantic comedy Hit Man.
Glen Powell (who co-wrote the script
with Linklater) plays Gary Johnson, a University of New Orleans professor who
has a side gig with the NOPD assisting with audio surveillance during sting
operations to catch people looking to hire hitmen. On one outing, the cop who
normally plays the role of the hitman (Austin Amelio) learns he is suspended
for excessive use of force. So an initially reluctant Johnson is asked to play
the role of the hitman.
But Johnson takes to his undercover
performances like a fish to water. A nerdy academic, he relishes the chance to
exit his own skin and be someone more confident and assertive, even if it's
only for a short time. But he soon meets with a woman (Adria Arjona) who claims
to be suffering at the hands of an abusive and threatening husband. Instead of
trapping her, he tries to steer her on a different course.
Revealing more would spoil the fun of Hit
Man. Powell and Arjona have great chemistry and the script has a lot of
funny moments. The role of Gary is a tough one to play because the actor in
question has to be equally convincing as a tentative dork and an assertive
alpha male. Overall, Powell (Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone But You) does
give a good performance but his looks and natural charisma make him more
believable once he slips into his hit man persona than he is in the early
scenes.
New Orleanians will also enjoy spotting
a lot of familiar locations. UNO's campus, Ms. Mae's, the Avenue Pub, City
Park, and Ted's Frostop all make appearances. The soundtrack also features
local legends Allen Toussaint and Dr. John.
I am a broken record on this issue, but
viewers who complain that Hollywood doesn't make enough original films targeted
at adults need to put their money where their mouth is and support films like Hit
Man when Hollywood does release them (it is currently playing at Prytania
Canal Place).
