The Merry Gentleman

The Merry Gentlemen has the makings, and perhaps even the trappings, of a predictable neo-noir involving a hit-man (Michael Keaton), a detective (Bastounes) and the woman that they're both eying (Kelly MacDonald), and the elements of crime floating all about. But Keaton brings to the table as a first-time director an absolutely unbreakable grasp of what makes the scene(s) work from an actor's stand-point. Ironically for an actor who usually makes his mark in movies as someone with a lot of nervous energy or something that makes him quirky or mysterious (i.e. Batman/Bruce Wayne, Beetlejuice, Jackie Brown), here he's subdued, almost like Alain Deleon in Melville's movies. He doesn't say much, but when he does you listen, especially as his character Logan has pneumonia or carries a Christmas tree.

On his own end Keaton's got his character covered wonderfully. That leaves the other two, and one other actor that should be noted. MacDonald is quickly becoming an example of a perfect character actress. It's hard for me to see her becoming a full-blown A-list star, even a decade or more after she hit the scene in her debut in Trainspotting, but when she comes into a role, usually in the supporting variety (most recently No Country for Old Men and Choke) you feel her presence incredibly. She's so vulnerable and adorable, so keen on how her character should be in every moment, as someone who's fragile, been messed with by her husband, but wants to have her space while at the same time being friendly to both the lonely hit-man and the desperate cop. It's hard for me to see a flaw in her performance, and maybe helps elevate things another notch or two. Ditto for Bastounes, one of those actors you swear you've seen somewhere else but actually has only been in one (or none) features before this. He, too, makes a mark playing off both MacDonald like at the restaurant or Keaton in a pivotal scene at the tailor.

There's another actor I should also credit, though at the moment I forget his name: he plays MacDonald's character's husband, and he appears out of the darkness in a scene, a recovering abuser with a newfound Jesus addiction who tries to win back his wife's heart as she holds a knife to him. It's one of the best, creepiest dramatic scenes I've yet seen this year. And while I praise his and the other principles performances, the rest of the film around them is... well, good, watchable, though nothing wholly remarkable. At times Keaton is still finding his footing with style, keeping some shots engaging and others just doing a big pan or reveal where it wouldn't be necessary. It's competent work, though, and I would hope to see something else from him; at the least he reveals himself such a fantastic director of his fellow actors (not least of which himself, though as Eastwood shows that's easier done than said) that he may have found a new calling. It's an A-grade acting job amid a decent little B-movie. 7.5/10

No captions' flat affect unsatisfying ending

"The Merry Gentleman" is a very strange film. It also is a very unsatisfying one because I liked so much of it and the film's ending really did not deliver.

The film is about an unlikely friendship that develops between a suicidal assassin (Michael Keaton) and a woman, Kate (Kelly MacDonald), who has been abused by her partner. What links them is tenuous and the ending really, really not at all what I'd hoped. This is a real shame, as the movie, up until that point, has terrific and highly original. It also never really delved into Keaton's character well enough. His motivation, in particular, is confusing to say the least.

Overall, had the ending been better, this would have been an excellent film. As it is, the story could really have used a bit of work...though there is still enough to this story to make it worth seeing.

The Merry Gentleman (AKA-- "Angel, Hitman, Sherlock Holmes and One Terrible Husband") Kate is an absolute angel. No, really. If she had wings and a halo, you wouldn't blink twice. Kelly MacDonald plays her with so much adorable charm you start wondering if she might actually smell like sugar cookies. She's the gravitational center of the film - every man within a five-mile radius gets yanked into her orbit like lovesick satellites.

Now, about those men... Man #1- The Cop Wife-Beater (Bobby Cannavale).

This guy is a snake. Not a cool snake. More like the kind that hides in your shoe and ruins your whole day. You'll hate him instantly - the movie doesn't even pretend to make him redeemable. When he's taken out by Man #2, you won't shed a tear. Maybe a shrug. Maybe a "good riddance," maybe even a small celebratory fist pump.

Man #2- The Suicidal Hitman (Michael Keaton).

He's supposed to be dead, he's suicidal, but then Kate - bless her sweet Scottish-ish heart - accidentally saves him. Suddenly this ice-cold killer is out here catching feelings like he caught a cold. She's basically emotional NyQuil to him. He's smitten, confused, dazed, and probably needs therapy.

Man #3- The Super Sleuth Detective (Tom Bastounes).

This guy has a crush too (because who doesn't?). He solves the whole mystery because he just can't accept the idea that Kate would... look up. That's it. That's the clue. This man cracked the case off a head tilt. Sherlock Holmes is shaking.

He breaks it all to Kate, who now realizes she might be falling in love with a killer. And not just any killer - a sad, suicidal one with a weird moral compass and an even weirder luck streak.

And the ending?

It's basically Hitman stands on bridge... thinking.

Kate is perplexed... staring.

Hitman walks away... brooding.

Audience blinks twice and goes, "Wait... is that it?" Roll credits.

Kate Frazier (Kelly Macdonald) escapes from her abusive policeman husband Michael (Bobby Cannavale). She moves to Chicago living an isolated life avoiding questions about her black eye. Professional assassin Frank Logan (Michael Keaton) is becoming suicidal. She sees his silhouette after his latest kill. Police detective Murcheson takes an interest in her. She befriends Frank over a Christmas tree, not knowing his real job.

It's a sad, slow march in the first half. Macdonald and Keaton keep the interest quite well. Murcheson needs a more compelling actor. Keaton takes his first step into directing. He has a steady and confident hand. His performance has the quiet intensity. Cannavale has a great threatening sensibility. I would love to see Keaton attempt another directing gig.

The main character doesn't say a word for the first half hour. But in that half hour, if we're paying attention, we get more insight into the depths of a man's soul than if we had just read his 500-page autobiography.

The Merry Gentleman is billed as a crime drama, but that label hardly does it justice. The same way "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold" broke the spy genre, the same way "2001: A Space Odyssey" broke the scifi genre, the same way "Pink Floyd -The Wall" ain't no average musical, this film is anything but your average crime drama. For starters, there's not a single car chase, gunfight, blimp explosion or any of the standard crime drama clichés. Instead, the tension & suspense is masterfully built around secrets. We begin with a secret which only the main character and the audience know. Then there is a secret which the 2nd character only knows (which the audience must slowly piece together). And finally, we have the main character's ultimate secret which is so cryptically presented that it may take you a few days of introspection before you figure it out.

This film is very much like a challenging poem whose meaning is elusive at first glance but whose mood & style sinks into your mind over time. Dialogue is sparse, but every line packs a whollop. In particular, pay attention to the analogy of ghosts & angels which crops up several times both verbally & visually. One of the characters says something like "Ghosts and angels are the same, except ghosts are haunted while angels are blessed." OK, it may not mean much at first, but by the end of the film the significance is absolutely beautiful.

Which brings me to the cinematography: absolutely beautiful. I'm no film school student, but I know what images affect me, and these scenes certainly did. Contrast (gleaming white snowflakes at night), perspective (long corridors at the morgue), symmetry (a lonely theatre marquee) and surrealism (a Christmas tree burning in a wheat field) are just some of the artistic touches you have in store. I can honestly say that I cannot think of a finer directoral debut than Michael Keaton in The Merry Gentleman.

I won't even get into the first rate acting, the haunting musical score, or Katie's adorable accent. This movie is just about perfect. The only reason why I'm giving it only 8 stars instead of 10 is that I'm a real hardass.

By the way, DO NOT WATCH THE TRAILER. DO NOT READ THE DVD DESCRIPTION. AVOID ALL DISCUSSION OF PLOT. This movie is best enjoyed if you know absolutely nothing about the story. The challenge (and the fun) will be even greater.