Review of Killshot (2008) by Jim H — 12 Apr 2011

A tortured hitman teams up with a loose cannon to stalk witnesses, a husband and wife who are undergoing marital strife.

With Elmore Leonard penning the novel and a cast that includes some real talent, most notably Mickey Rourke and Diane Lane, I got my hopes up, but this film is ultimately a disappointment. It reminds me of another Leonard work, Out of Sight. Both films are equally slow and amount to predictable conclusions. The only difference is that for some reason Out of Sight was critically acclaimed and Killshot was panned.

Regardless, the film takes an awful long time to unfold, and the only character who is able to hold our attention is Levitt's psychopath. Rourke's Armand is moody, and in response to his partner's shenanigans, he groans like Al Gore did during the 2004 debate; both performances were not representative of their abilities. And Lane and Mickey Mantle are stuck in a plot that goes nowhere and magically resolves, then just as magically, "un-resolves.".

Overall, the film probably deserves two stars, but my disappointment in this capable cast and writer knock it down one.