There is a lot of irony to the title "The Merry Gentleman" about a hit man named Frank Logan. It is also curious to think of this film as a "thriller." Instead, it is an insightful character study of two people who are apparently deeply in love but cannot connect, due to extenuating circumstances.
Those circumstances have to do with the suicidal nature of the hitman Frank Logan. Michael Keaton is terrific as the self-loathing tailor by day and contract killer by night. Frank is "saved" by Kate (Kelly Macdonald) when he is about to jump off a building. There is no doubt that from Frank's perspective, Kate is his guardian angel.
The romance is disrupted by an extremely efficient police detective, who pieces together the story of Kate "saving" Frank. In a flagrant violation of protocol, the detective has a romantic interest in Kate, and he shamelessly flirts and invites her on dates. The naïve Kate has to be wondering what is happening to her, especially as she has recently fled from an abusive man. When she says that she must ask God for forgiveness, Frank has to remind her that she hasn't done anything wrong.
Some viewers may be disappointed in the relative absence of "action" in this film. But it is clear that the intent was that of insightful character development, not fast-paced action. Some of the best scenes are the quiet ones, such as the initial meeting of Kate and Frank when she has fallen under the weight of the large Christmas tree she has purchased; a conversation in the hospital where Frank is recovering from pneumonia; and a meeting in church where neither character looks at the other for the entire sequence.
The film's ending failed to resolve basic questions about the main relationship of Frank and Kate. It also failed to answer a myriad of questions that the viewer wants answered. This was obviously intentional on the part of the screenwriter. But it was the only shortcoming this thoughtful and well-produced film. The screenplay was filled with interesting details about the characters, which makes "The Merry Gentleman" a film worth viewing on multiple occasions.
Those circumstances have to do with the suicidal nature of the hitman Frank Logan. Michael Keaton is terrific as the self-loathing tailor by day and contract killer by night. Frank is "saved" by Kate (Kelly Macdonald) when he is about to jump off a building. There is no doubt that from Frank's perspective, Kate is his guardian angel.
The romance is disrupted by an extremely efficient police detective, who pieces together the story of Kate "saving" Frank. In a flagrant violation of protocol, the detective has a romantic interest in Kate, and he shamelessly flirts and invites her on dates. The naïve Kate has to be wondering what is happening to her, especially as she has recently fled from an abusive man. When she says that she must ask God for forgiveness, Frank has to remind her that she hasn't done anything wrong.
Some viewers may be disappointed in the relative absence of "action" in this film. But it is clear that the intent was that of insightful character development, not fast-paced action. Some of the best scenes are the quiet ones, such as the initial meeting of Kate and Frank when she has fallen under the weight of the large Christmas tree she has purchased; a conversation in the hospital where Frank is recovering from pneumonia; and a meeting in church where neither character looks at the other for the entire sequence.
The film's ending failed to resolve basic questions about the main relationship of Frank and Kate. It also failed to answer a myriad of questions that the viewer wants answered. This was obviously intentional on the part of the screenwriter. But it was the only shortcoming this thoughtful and well-produced film. The screenplay was filled with interesting details about the characters, which makes "The Merry Gentleman" a film worth viewing on multiple occasions.