Screenings: March 7, 7:00 PM (Cal); March 8, 1:30 PM (Cam 12).
One of the things I love about Cinequest films is that even when they’re covering a tired old trope, it has a fresh feel to it. This is a story we’ve seen before: a hitman on the cusp of retirement (or already in it) takes one last job, but falls in love with the woman he’s supposed to kill. Here we have Tom Sizemore (“Saving Private Ryan”) as the hitman, Sasha Alexander (NCIS) as the woman, and Max Allen Collins (Road to Perdition) co-writing. This is a quiet film punctuated by occasional violence — and the bloody scenes walk the line between honesty and gratuity well. But it’s the long, quiet stretches that are the most interesting, the scenes short on music and dialog. Both protagonists are insomniacs and introverts, but the chemistry between them is palpable. Sizemore and Alexander do a great deal with body language and subtle expressions, particularly as the film descends towards its conclusion. The final shot in particular caught my attention.
This is a must-see for fans of the genre looking for a less-polished, more honest take on the tropes, as well as for lovers of top-notch acting.