The Merry Gentleman (2008)

The Merry Gentleman: Directed by Michael Keaton. With Michael Keaton, Kelly Macdonald, Bobby Cannavale, Kareem Bandealy. A woman leaves an abusive husband to start a new life in Chicago, where she befriends a man undergoing an emotional crisis, who she does not know is a professional killer, and a detective, who is investigating the hit man.

“u0026quot;Iu0026#39;d say weu0026#39;ve been pretty good for one another,u0026quot; Kate (Kelly Macdonald)u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWell, not quite, but that statement is consistent with naïve young Brit Kateu0026#39;s cluelessness since sheu0026#39;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 Keatonu0026#39;s first directorial effort, The Merry Gentleman, as well.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI 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 Mametu0026#39;s poetic language, Keaton is left with spare dialogue that barely explains the motivations for abuse and murder involving more than one character.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt 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.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAmong the several motifs Keaton rams through, the idea of u0026quot;goodu0026quot; 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 u0026quot;bad.u0026quot; Most of all I am disappointed in the ending. Some closure is necessary in most fiction.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNot a bad film; just not great.”