Hitman

By Linda Winsh-Bolard

The beginning shows a strong influence of Film Noir in the convent scenes as well as in the interaction between two men, who must have met previously, in the dark room shot with strong contrast, where deception and trust are forced by circumstances.

Years ago in a place far from humane children were brought up cruelly to become invincible soldiers of an “Agency” serving all governments. Among the graduates was a young man Number 42 who had during the following years killed some 150 times leaving no traces behind.

For the last three years he is being pursued by an Interpol inspector Mike who thinks he knows where ”his man” will go next.

They both go to Russia where President Belikoff was assassinated.

Or was not. Number 42 was set up for capture by the same people who ordered the killing. Or by somebody like them.

In a grand scheme of betrayal, deception and high politics the man who was brought up to be the gun for hire decides to find out who and why wants him dead-there is no pun intended. It seems that Number 42 not only lacks any humane feelings, he is also incapable of accepting that he might be on a revenge list of many.

He is single minded, and set on finding out whom he really killed, and who set him up to be killed in return.

Of course, he meets a beautiful prostitute Nika, who never wanted to be prostitute. Her dependency and helplessness will get to him. Yet he kills multitudes.

And at the end he again meets the man who, like himself was, fighting in the dark not knowing it, Mike. What makes a good man to kill? asks Number 42.

Having gotten an answer, he gives in return a body that matches his description and leaves. Or was it his body? Who was following the Nika? Who died trying to kill her? Who, at the end, is who?

That is the part that is working. The changeable perspective and personal interest or lack of it, work for the idea of dehumanized society set on money and power.

However, as we well know, such societies and the men who govern the, do not need to bring up special breed of humans to kill for them. Killers for hire can be reportedly found on the Internet for relatively small payments, unconnected, they could be equally easily disposed off. Not to mention number of others who will kill for money or even beliefs. All are exchangeable and easily forgotten.

The premise is actually a bit too humane to be believable.

The connection Number 42 finds to Nika is equally unlikely, even if we can buy into her background, we only know what she says about herself, and her ability to understand that is some ways they both suffer the same fate.

Mike is naturally the good man, yet should he ever capture Number 42 he will bring him to his death, in the name of justice and to stop the killings.

That of course is the premise of Film Noir, nothing is truly black and white, everything is corrupt to some degree, and within that premise some do occasionally very brave and idealistic things. As some do in Hitman.

As per one man being the sole beacon of change anywhere, well, we have all outgrown that idea in the last century.

It is fast, well shot, with relatively underdeveloped plot, one dimensional characters and high aspirations. The opening sequence of the boys in monk’s robe being initiated into a life of lone killers is visually most arresting.
The scene where Number 42 is wiling “to die but with dignity” and all the police agents agree to be subsequently sliced by him into kingdom to come, is the most ridiculous one. Walks with weapons while shooting all around are lifted straight from the video game. I wanted to yell: this is film, not body count video.

As far as the actual staging, many of the scenes and action don’t have any development continuity, Nika’s character doesn’t make much sense at all, and although Timothy Olyphant is capable of acting out emotional changes within repressed character, his credibility suffers from the fact that during the entire film he goes around the world with a bar code on his head and that serves as his a cover-up.

It jars with replaying of the Russian theme-if Bush’s administration has problems with the man they hailed as the new democrat of Russia, perhaps Hollywood is not the place to deal with it, at least not repeatedly in the world full of corruption.

A 20th Century Fox release of a EuropaCorp-Charles Gordon/Adrian Askarieh production, made in association with Dune Entertainment III. Produced by Gordon, Askarieh, Pierre-Ange Le Pogam. Executive producers, Janos Flosser, Vin Diesel. Co-producer, Daniel Alter. Directed by Xavier Gens, Camera: Laurent Bares; Screenplay: Skip Woods, based on the Eidos game "Hitman."

Agent 47 - Timothy Olyphant
Mike Whittier - Dougray Scott
Nika Boronina - Olga Kurylenko
Yuri Marklov - Robert Knepper
Mikhail Belicoff - Ulrich Thomsen
Udre Belicoff - Henry Ian Cusick
Jenkins - Michael Offei