Review - Hit Man
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Written by: Richard Linklater, Glen Powell
Starring: Glen Powell, Adria Ajorna, Austin Amelio, Retta
Running Time: 113 minutes
Rating: 5/5
Chivalry may be dead, but I didn’t kill it.
What is identity without performance? How much do we lose ourselves, whether at our job, while dating, even in relationships with oneself? Simple philosophical questions to ponder, sure, but Richard Linklater’s newest comedy, Hit Man, delightfully delves into these ideas with a film that is full of charm, eroticism, and pie. It’s also one the funniest films of the year.
Inspired by a Texas Monthly story by Skip Hollandsworth (who also co-wrote Linklater’s 2011 black comedy Bernie, also based on another Texas Monthly piece), Hit Man stars Glen Powell, one of the newest members in Linklater’s long list of trusting collaborators, as Gary Johnson, a philosophy professor by day, but moonlights in his spare time being an undercover cop. Running the tech for sting operations, he fills in to play the persona of a hit man when an officer on his team is put on leave, and finds himself to be quite a natural at it. That is, until he gets caught in the crosshairs of attraction with one of his targets (Adria Arjona).
Image credit: Courtesy of TIFF
Linklater has frequently been cited as a director who exudes a lot of trust with his collaborators in crafting authentic characters, and with Hit Man, he has finally cracked the code in providing Powell with a star-making performance worthy of his charisma, though granted, both penned the script together. It’s full of hysterical and memorable one-liners, especially while Gary is in character as various hit men, but it never fails to provide that philosophical touch at times that Linklater likes to impart on the audience.
Hit Man is one of the best films I’ve seen in recent memory that tackles the notion of identity, by way of acting, and how that affects romantic relationships. Setting aside the amazing chemistry between Powell and Arjona that is sure to make anyone in the audience swoon (I can’t lie, it’s one of the horniest on-screen pairings I’ve seen all year), what I particularly enjoyed about their relationship, is that Gary is always acting; putting on a performance for what the situation calls for. He’s a professor, he’s a cop, he’s a hit man named Ron that likes puppies (Gary likes cats), and most importantly, he’s just Gary. All duties and personas that have tailored needs depending on the scenario, which all comes to a head when the web of lies can’t keep up. The way that many people online, particularly men in sincerity or irony, project themselves onto Ryan Gosling’s Driver character as “he’s literally me”, Glen Powell’s portrayal of Gary losing himself in identity felt very personal in how I’ve reflected on my own sense of self this year.
Image credit: Courtesy of TIFF
At the end of the film, Gary gives his philosophy class some final words of wisdom: “Seize the identity you want for yourself.” Striving for authenticity in relationships with this generation, both interpersonally and in the online world, is a constant ever-changing journey. What Linklater and Powell have achieved with Hit Man is a shot in the arm that audiences are craving to watch in the theatre. It’s funny, it’s charming, it’s tense at times. It’s a bullseye.
