The Merry Gentlemen

Director: Michael Keaton (debut)

Screenwriter: Ron Lazzeretti

Cast: Michael Keaton, Kelly MacDonald (No Country for Old Men), Tom Bastounes

Length: 1h 50m

Synopsis: Hitman Frank Logan (Keaton), whilst completing a job, comes across the angelic and innocent Kate Frazier (MacDonald). Him a suicidal assassin wracked with what appears to be guilt, and her a runaway from a violent husband, their lonely souls find company with each other and form an atypical relationship that is simultaneously platonic and romantic. A lonesome detective named Dave (Bastounes), who is investigating Frank’s murders, also becomes wooed by Kate’s affable charm after questioning her about one of Frank’s recent killings. Kate and Detective Dave never connect as he continually attempts to court her, and her reaction to his misfires is to retreat to the sanctity of her privacy and emotional solitude. All else after this shan’t be disclosed.

Opinion: The tone of the film is solemn but not morbidly so. Keaton shows in this debut that he knows how to direct in a style that fits the material, and does so marvelously. The pace is slow but never boring, as the film makes no apologies about being a character study that relies on the curiosity of the audience. That curiosity is fueled with a profuse amount of ambiguity but not the brand that causes frustration or annoyance, as the performances by Keaton and MacDonald fantastically portray their characters’ depth by conveying thought and emotion between their lines of dialogue as well as through them. One cannot help but get the feeling that there is so much more to be found within these people, but also realize that what is hidden is what makes them compelling. We never know all there is to know about either’s exact frame of mind, just as if we had been witnesses to their lives in real life. We want to read their minds, and we get hints and clues now and again as to what they are thinking, but for the most part they remain psychologically elusive – especially Frank. Christianity has a strong presence in the film (as it takes place during the Christmas season), being overt but in a non-intrusive way (which is a credit to both Keaton and Lazzeretti). The idea of kindred spirits is an easy association to peg on Frank and Kate’s relationship, admitting also that it would be an unusual brand of that kind of bond, but more relevant is the concept of fate and personal purpose. It is not that these two people share a unique bond, it is pondering why. This is where the pleasure in the film lies. All aspects, from framing to dialogue, are assembled and performed in such a way that what results is a sort of meticulously constructed ambiguity, much like that of the human soul. And despite its appearance, The Merry Gentleman has a very warm soul.

Rating: 8.0