"Interview with a Hit-man" offers a number of reasons to enjoy and appreciate the film, but also a number of reasons for frustration that it couldn't be better. The latter are somewhat mitigated by the recognition that this is an independent, first-time production by a writer/director/producer, so will not have the technical polish of a studio production.
Luke Goss gives a credible performance as a dispassionate assassin who seems so desperate to cling to some semblance of his own humanity that he places disproportionate reliance upon a sort of code that includes loyalty and honor, but isn't necessarily subscribed to by the sociopaths in his world. The fight scenes are decent, although at times seem too easy. The film looks as if it was shot through some sort of gold or sepia filter that washed out most of the color, leaving a surreal image that is largely reduced to black and white, like the choices the characters must make.
The most glaring fault in the movie is the incessant and distracting camera movement. Every single shot looks as if the cameraman was trying to balance on a unicycle while holding the camera in one hand at arm's length. IMDb and other movie sites should include a Richter scale rating indicating the level of unnecessary camera movement in each movie. Consumer rights groups should sue Steadicam to compel them to change their name to Jiggly-cam.
Other quibbles include a few too many coincidences and a plot twist that was largely predictable and somewhat derivative. The film has long segments without dialogue, but too many scenes of talking heads. The romance seems rushed, forced and never believable. The film would have benefited from a stronger leading lady. The motivations of some characters seem contrived.
As a first-time effort, as a low-budget independent direct-to-video, it's better than average and worth a view.
Luke Goss gives a credible performance as a dispassionate assassin who seems so desperate to cling to some semblance of his own humanity that he places disproportionate reliance upon a sort of code that includes loyalty and honor, but isn't necessarily subscribed to by the sociopaths in his world. The fight scenes are decent, although at times seem too easy. The film looks as if it was shot through some sort of gold or sepia filter that washed out most of the color, leaving a surreal image that is largely reduced to black and white, like the choices the characters must make.
The most glaring fault in the movie is the incessant and distracting camera movement. Every single shot looks as if the cameraman was trying to balance on a unicycle while holding the camera in one hand at arm's length. IMDb and other movie sites should include a Richter scale rating indicating the level of unnecessary camera movement in each movie. Consumer rights groups should sue Steadicam to compel them to change their name to Jiggly-cam.
Other quibbles include a few too many coincidences and a plot twist that was largely predictable and somewhat derivative. The film has long segments without dialogue, but too many scenes of talking heads. The romance seems rushed, forced and never believable. The film would have benefited from a stronger leading lady. The motivations of some characters seem contrived.
As a first-time effort, as a low-budget independent direct-to-video, it's better than average and worth a view.