I Hired a Contract Killer (1990)
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Duration: 80 minuten
Country:
Finland / Sweden / Germany / United Kingdom / France
Directed by: Aki Kaurismäki
Stars: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Margi Clarke and Kenneth Colley
IMDb score:
7,2 (8.714)
Releasedate: 12 October 1990
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
I Hired a Contract Killer plot
After fifteen years of loyal service, Henri Boulanger is fired from his job. Deeply upset, he tries to commit suicide, but fails. He goes to a bar, and signs a contract with an assassin stating that he will kill Henri in the future at an unknown time in the future. But immediately afterwards he meets Margaret, a florist, and falls in love with her. Henri comes to realize that his life still has some meaning, and goes back to the bar to find the hit man to break the contract. But when he gets there he sees that the bar has been molested, and Henri sees no chance to get in touch with the killer...
Actors and actresses
Henri Boulanger
Margaret
The Killer
Departmen Head
Secretary
Landlady
Cab Driver
Pete
Al
Killer's Boss
Reviews & comments
mister blonde
-
- 12693 messages
- 5825 votes
Very enjoyable movie. The whole premise is of course a lot of fun. All Kaurismaki ingredients are present again. The sparse dialogues are delivered by stoic actors who move through the film with a straight face. A film about the working class that is tragicomic, with ugly buildings and terrible apartments. The musical intermezzo, the compact playing time. It all works like a charm again.
Best moments are the gold watch that doesn't work (but actually the whole exit interview), the criminals at the bar who tell Henri about the meaning of life, the note at the door for the hitman, the "I didn't t thank you for the flowers" (after she was almost killed for him), the "they didn't like me in France" and much more. It's also funny that Henri only starts living once he has lost his hopeless and dreary job. Only then does his life become exciting, does he find love, and does he dare to smoke and drink.
Occasionally the dialogues are droned on in a very monotonous manner, which does not do the realism any good, but otherwise this is an extremely fun film. Kaurismaki is a hero. 4 stars.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Spetie
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- 38871 messages
- 8145 votes
Nice film, where all the typical Kaurismäki ingredients are mixed together in a fun way. On the one hand, it is very tragic what happens, but the black comedy sauce that is poured over it sometimes makes it very funny.
What a huge idiot Henri is. The desolate appearance he carries with him is comical in itself. The best moments have already been mentioned here by Mister Blonde. I especially found the encounter with the murderers very comical. Furthermore, the atmosphere is very gray and desolate, just like Henri's entire life, until he meets Margaret.
The acting here is very static, but that also fits in with Kaurismäki's other films. The idiosyncratic soundtrack completes the picture and it doesn't take too long. Maybe it's not all that great, but it is still very entertaining.
3.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
First and foremost, a very nice premise from a man who no longer sees anything going in life. A number of suicide attempts fail and he finds no better option than to send an assassin after himself. Although the result will be the same, dead is dead, it is still an unbearable thought to have to instinctively look back. In addition, not much later he gets more excited about life and he wants to cancel the deal. But it's not that simple.
Kaurismäki makes another fun film with that great mix of humor and drama. The setting is often the same, very minimalist and basic, with silent, emotionless character heads in the foreground. What a great scene there in that crooks' café!
Nice start to the film too when Henri gets kicked out and is then thanked in a clumsy manner with a broken watch. Nice to see these again!
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