The Merry Gentleman (2008)

Calificación de los usuarios:

8.2/10   

Director:

Michael Keaton

Guionista:

Ron Lazzeretti (writer)

Género:

Drama

Frase comercial:

A man with a secret. A woman with a past.

Plot:

A woman who leaves an abusive relationship to begin a new life in a new city, where she forms an unlikely...

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Not bad.

US Showtimes:

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Reparto

Michael Keaton	...	Frank Logan
Kelly Macdonald	...	Kate Frazier
Tom Bastounes	...	Dave Murcheson
listado alfabético del resto del reparto:
Mike Bradecich	...	Jerry
Debbi Burns	...	Office Worker at Christmas Party
Maritza Cabrera	...	Restaurant Patron
Bobby Cannavale	...	Michael
Esther Claire	...	Restaurant Patron
William Dick	...	Mr. Weiss
Jay Disney	...	Drunken Businessman
Mike Falevits	...	Guy at Party #1
Sean Fortunato	...	Ted
Shaun Gayle	...	Doctor
Lori Ann Gerdisch	...	Female Co-Worker
Steven H. Hansen	...	MOB Businessman
Gerald O. Heller	...	Restaurant patron
Darlene Hunt	...	Diane
Randall Jones	...	Customer
Bob Kolbey	...	Office Party Guest
Joseph Mazurk	...	Background lawyer
Doug McDade	...	Sleeping Man
Greg Mills	...	Steve
Aleh Neliubin	...	Yoga Guru
Larry Neumann Jr.	...	Lester
Henry Sandifer	...	Business Professional
Toni-Marie Spera	...	Customer at Restaurant
John Thurner	...	Restaurant Patron
Guy Van Swearingen	...	Billy Goldman
David Dino Wells Jr.	...	Passerby
Lisa Wolf	...	Office Worker

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violence.

Duración:

USA:110 min (Sundance Film Festival)

País:

USA

Idioma:

Inglés

Color:

Color

Relación de Aspecto:

2.35 : 1

Sonido:

Dolby Digital

Clasificación:

USA:R

Locaciones de Filmación:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Compañía:

Jackson Income Fund

Errores:

Continuidad: In the hospital room on Christmas Day, Frank Logan is holding the cup of water in the medium shot, but in the long shots, it is setting on the table.

Not bad.

"I'd say we've been pretty good for one another," Kate (Kelly Macdonald)

Well, not quite, but that statement is consistent with naïve young Brit Kate's cluelessness since she's talking to an accomplished assassin, Frank (Michael Keaton), whom she recently befriended and believes to be a good Samaritan. But that sense of being just a bit out of it is characteristic of Michael Keaton's first directorial effort, The Merry Gentleman, as well.

I could feel Keaton struggling to offer a thriller in the David Mamet tradition (without his caustic language) with minimalist dialogue and exposition and a concentration on character. Without Mamet's poetic language, Keaton is left with spare dialogue that barely explains the motivations for abuse and murder involving more than one character.

It is, however, mostly Kate I wanted to know, and I was not fulfilled because of her limited capacity to speak loud and clear. Caught as she is between the growing interest of Detective Dave Murcheson (Tom Bastounes) and Frank, and her abusive husband, this woman causes a great deal of trouble by just being beautiful, caring, and out there. And ignorant of her charm and the kind of rogue male she is attracted to.

Among the several motifs Keaton rams through, the idea of "good" appears regularly. Calling someone good who is not is a cheap way of doubling up on irony but doing little to expand the meaning of "bad." Most of all I am disappointed in the ending. Some closure is necessary in most fiction.

Not a bad film; just not great.