Richard Linklater's movie career has been punctuated by intense narratives originating from everyday events. 'Hit Man' somehow achieves the opposite - it's a fluffy confection based on the exploits of a psychology professor who poses as a professional hit man.
The purpose of Gary Johnson's masquerades is to help his local police department entrap those wanting to hire a killer. The film's introductory sequences show several unconvincing restaurant encounters where he assures a procession of would-be murderers he's a hardened criminal in the liquidation business. When a beautiful Latina asks him to terminate her abusive husband, Gary baffles his handlers by refusing her down-payment, and suggesting she initiates divorce proceedings instead of contracting a homicide. By this point, the narrative has departed from anything close to gritty realism - and clownish complications ensue when Gary secretly starts an affair with this 'femme fatale' while maintaining his assassin persona.
'Hit Man' could have followed in the footsteps of modern classics like 'Body Heat', but Linklater chooses to play it for comedy rather than drama. Tension is lost as the story becomes increasingly frivolous, until it arrives at a conclusion that belongs in a farce. The acting performances and lightly amusing screenplay just about hold one's interest, but the final product feels like an insubstantial appetizer that could have been a memorable main course with a different approach.
