Hit Man
Richard Linklater has a natural talent for finding the natural moments in any story. Whether it’s a coming-of-age period piece like “Dazed and Confused”; a multi-film journey towards love in the “Before” films; or a silly school comedy like “School of Rock,” there’s something authentic in how he approaches his material. In “Hit Man,” he’s definitely wading into the silly side of the pool, but as with his criminally underappreciated “Bernie,” he understands that the outlandish in reality only feels palpable if there’s emotional truth at the heart of it. He delivers the goods once again.
Like “Bernie,” “Hit Man” is adapted from an article by Texas Monthly author Skip Hollandsworth about a scenario so outlandish it’s hard to believe it actually happened, but “School of Rock” is probably closer in tone and premise to this one. Gary Johnson (Glen Powell, who wrote the screenplay with Linklater) is a philosophy professor whose work with technology has led to him working with the New Orleans PD in surveillance. One day, he has to step out of the van, and be the undercover operative to frame people looking for a hit man. Gary is just a regular Joe-looking individual (well, as much as someone played by Powell can look), but when he’s in front of his first mark, something shifts in him, and Roy is born. Gary takes to the job beautifully…until a stunning woman (Madison, played by Adria Arjona) comes looking for someone to kill her husband. He gets her to call off the kill, but gives her an in to calling him in the future. When they start dating, that’s when things really begin to get complicated.
One of the things that is becoming apparent about Glen Powell the more we see him is that he’s not afraid to not take himself too seriously. As his star rises, which I hope it does, I hope we get to see him in more roles like this. As Johnson, he’s playing someone who is passionate about understanding the self in an intellectual way, but doesn’t really practice what he teaches- he is on good terms with his ex-wife (Molly Bernard), and content with who he is. When he gets the opportunity to expand his definition of himself with “Roy,” we see him starting to change his life, and in that same manner, we see Powell expanding his definition of who he is as a performer in the role. When Arjona enters the picture, we have an idea of how things will go, but we don’t care because immediately, the pair make a smoldering, smart, and sexy duo. What catches us off guard about them is how Gary approaches things when it appears as though his dual life with catch up with him. That takes their work together to another level, and I loved every minute of it.
Linklater has made a film in “Hit Man” that is a throwback to the star vehicles of the ’80s and ’90s, where the lead is not only cast to show off why he is the lead, but we also get a distinct blend of character actors and supporting characters we enjoy watching. Here, the main three are Claudette (Retta) and Phil (Sanjay Rao) as Glen’s surveillance team, and Austin Amelio as Jasper, the former undercover informant whose leave leads to Glen’s chance to shine. The dynamics between lead and supporting characters are important for a star vehicle, and this film is as well built as any in that respect. Linklater may not be after the big life questions he is looking for with his best films with “Hit Man,” but he knows how to make an entertaining film.
