The Merry Gentleman

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Michael Keaton's low budget directorial debut is a gloomy and sombre affair, but the actor, who came on board with the original director fell ill, shows enough nice touches to warrant another outing behind the camera. Let's hope he has a better story to work with next time.

Keaton plays pneumonia-suffering Frank Logan: tailor by day, suicidal hitman by night. After executing a hit one evening in the run up to Christmas, Frank bottoms out and contemplates throwing himself off a building. He's saved by a shout from Kate (MacDonald), who spots him as she leaves work. Frank becomes fascinated with Kate because she's everything he's not - sweet and fragile - and after a chance meeting at her apartment building while he's on another 'job', a bond grows between these two lonely people. However, as cop Dave (Bastounes, who also produces) investigates Frank's hits, clues lead him to Kate with whom he also takes a shine.

Lonely hitmen with mental issues isn't a trailblazing idea - Grosse Point Blank and You Kill Me are just two in recent memory - and Keaton, working from a script by original director Ron Lazzeretti (The Opera Lover), fails to bring anything fresh to the table. The plot seems to be always building to something but that something never comes. This wouldn't be too bad if the characters were worth spending time with. They're not, however.

Although Keaton's patient camera spends most of the running time with MacDonald, we're never privy to information on her other than she's sweet (MacDonald overdoes the sweetness too). It's hard to figure out Kate and Frank's relationship - are they lovers, slightly attracted to each other or just friends? Keaton is no help with answers to this as she spends so little time with the characters as a pair. This is the heart of the film and it's missing. If that relationship isn't believable then Bobby Cannavale's character isn't either.

Keaton isn't flashy behind the camera and it's encouraging to see he's more interested in character than style.