This low rent Canadian hit-man thriller has received some positive reviews on this site, but I fail to see where they're coming from. This is a lacklustre effort all round, one of those films that's so cheap that most scenes seem to take place in dark rooms with just a couple of characters chatting.There's no sense of drive or urgency that a life-or-death thriller needs. LEON is an obvious reference point but this film can't be mentioned in the same review as that classic. Joe Mantegna looks as weary as the viewer becomes when watching this nonsense, and the whole plot with his daughter is a bore from beginning to end. No action, no drama, no emotion; no real point to the film whatsoever.

He could never go to school to tell her class about his job, but he never missed the "take your child to work day." That's how we learn that the daughter of a top tier professional free lance hit man not only knows what he does but has joined him in the "family business." The scenario gives us a different and novel perspective on the hit man as a profession. Even in the beginning of the movie he becomes a person the audience cares about. The plot starts with a failed assignment (Harry is known to never miss!) that is inexplicable to the people who hired him, causing them to suspect some sort of double cross. We learn why he missed and the ramifications of the muffed assignment fairly early in the film. The movie has some humor but it is basically a serious character study with much suspenseful life and death turns.I guess this is what is called a small movie, but it is a very well done one. Great acting and well paced. I saw it in the 4:3 TV format that cuts off the edges of the picture, so I can't fairly comment on the set design or camera work, but from what I did see it was really good. I liked the mix of black and white and color.********* ************** ********* ******* ********* ***** ********* ********* ***************** ****** ******** *********** NEXT PARAGRAPH CONTAINS SPOILERS! ******** ********** ******* ******* DON'T READ IT UNTIL AFTER YOU'VE SEEN THE MOVIE ******* ******** ************ ********** *********** *********** ********** ************The only parts of the story that bothered me a little were the explanations about the assassination scene:(1) Why does the daughter wait until after Billy lowers his gun before taking action?(2) In the morning Harry Tremayne decides that the last (never seen) assassin must have been hired by the people that were trying to kill him and Racquel. If that was the case and he was watching from a safe distance, why wasn't he aware that his employer was dead before the sun went down and why didn't he use his rifle at that time? The only explanation I can come up with is that they had initially given out 2 contracts, one to Billy and one to another killer, possibly with each unaware of the other. But these are not important to the life and death decisions that Harry is repeatedly faced with.

While there's enough action to sustain the drama, this is not a shoot-em-up production. A father, the hit-man, has brought his daughter into the business. He must then cope with failing health, and the dangers presented by a failed hit, by bringing in a partner.Not at all what anyone might expect in a hit-man movie made with today's thud and blunder styling. This is actually about the interactions of people, and is done with a lot of care. Excellent low-key drama with top-caliber acting and touches of black comedy. Loved it. I definitely have to check out all else that this writer/director has done.

Director-writer Smets injects life into a tired genre with this top-notch throw-back which combines black comedy and genuine pathos with ease and skill. Smets was certainly influenced by crime dramas of the 70's (most notably, The Mechanic). His subdued style and pacing is a welcome change from the usual shock and awe of Hollywood. His characters speak from the heart and head and could be your father, sister, or next door neighbour. The film never takes itself too seriously until it matters, nor does it get bogged down with pop-culture references and post-modern irony. I look forward to more films by this talented director.