The Last Hit Man

Joe Mantegna was an excellent choice to play the dying hit-man in "The Last Hit Man", and he does not disappoint. His understated performance is mirrored by the fine acting of all involved. The story is a real grabber, unique, with unexpected bursts of dark humor. Although there is certainly more drama than comedy, the mix seems perfect. The three main characters are well developed, and actually quite sympathetic for being contract killers. Paul Bartel would have had a field day with this script, probably tipping the scales in favor of more black comedy, but director Christopher Smets has done just fine with the restrained humor. Recommended viewing for those looking for something different. - MERK

We didn't know what to hope for when we sat down to watch The Last Hit Man. The trailer sort of prepared us for more of an action film. There's plenty of action, but the real story is more internal. We got very caught up in it.

There are some very funny lines and almost a screwball style to parts of the movie, especially at the start; and then it settles into a bit of a nightmare and leads to a conclusion that is at the same time satisfying and open-ended.

In the "about" feature the director said that during shooting the main actors would come to him with suggestions about lines that could be cut to make the story tighter and the to tell more by saying less. The result works pretty well, even though there is a slight sag toward pathos at one point.

We will certainly watch it again, and will buy copies of the DVD to share with others.

LATE NEWS!~ April 2: "Last Hit Man" won Best Feature Film at the Canadian Film Festival in Toronto in March!

While I normally don't watch this type of movie, it wasn't that bad for a bad guy movie. This isn't a really deep movie, but it's not a typical hollywood shoot em up. I thought the main characters were well acted. The pacing was a little slow, given one of the main themes it's somewhat understandable. The dialogue could have used a little brushing up, not a big fan of cussing in movies. A little more back ground on the mains would have been nice, to better understand why he went into the business. This isn't a highly polished hollywood style movie, but it kind of draws you in and remains interesting enough to continue watching.

There are no special effects, no kung fu style moves, no excessive killing and no over-the-top swearing and cursing just for the sake of it. Thank you for going against the flow, Christopher Warre Smets, writer and director of this unexpected gem of a movie.

Whilst most movies nowadays seem to need all the above to be a success, 'The Last Hit Man' wins us over by being a thoughtful and emotional glimpse into the last days of a hit-man. It's a simple and unpretentious look into his life and how his work has affected and influenced his daughter's life choices.

The ageing hit-man Harry Tremayne, soberly and devotedly played by Joe Mantegna, is a no nonsense type of man. Refreshingly, he isn't superhuman, he doesn't jump around using unrealistic kung fu moves, he is just an intelligent man who is good at what he does and has earned respect for his years as a professional.

Elizabeth Whitmere plays the part of the daughter, Racquel Tremayne, and does so with believable emotion and surprising depth at times. The daughter is a strong and stable young woman who knows what her father does for a living, which is a good reflection on the father and the way he raised his child even with her knowing, contrasting against the circles he moves in.

While I don't wish to spoil it for you, I thought I would mention the Billy Rosco character, wonderfully played by Romano Orzari. He enters the picture in a scene that delightfully, and memorably, changes the flow of the whole movie. An interesting low-life character that you can't help but like, but also can't quite decide if you can trust.

The ending of the movie had me surprised. Little did I realise that I had subtly become much more emotionally attached to the characters than I had realised. There was a certain dignity to the ending and it stirred up emotions in me that left me pensive and sad. This realisation and also that I had actually been engrossed the whole way through truly reflects on the story, cast and director of this movie.

The only things I dislike about this movie are the title and tagline: "The Last Hit Man - Daddy's little girl is going into the family business". This is about as cheesy as it gets. Neither the title nor tagline really reflect the depth of the movie. A shame really. Seems like marketing cheesers tacked it on as an afterthought. However, if the title is all I can complain about, then there is nothing to worry about.

I thoroughly recommend seeing this movie if you like the genre.

Director-writer Smets injects life into a tired genre with this top-notch throw-back which combines black comedy and genuine pathos with ease and skill. Smets was certainly influenced by crime dramas of the 70's (most notably, The Mechanic). His subdued style and pacing is a welcome change from the usual shock and awe of Hollywood. His characters speak from the heart and head and could be your father, sister, or next door neighbour. The film never takes itself too seriously until it matters, nor does it get bogged down with pop-culture references and post-modern irony. I look forward to more films by this talented director.