Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

HeadlinesExotic Boring

BallWubba Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

merklekranz Low key drama is very interesting if you give it time and listen to the dialog. The acting by the four main characters is effective, the story is straightforward, and the outcome is always in doubt. Special mention must be made of the excellent score and scenery. John Hurt elicits tension with his minimalist performance. Terrence Stamp shows detached indifference to his pending fate. Tim Roth and Laura Del Sol also give convincing performances. Some terrific camera angles and sharp direction adds to the overall enjoyment of "The Hit". This is not a loud movie, but rather a very quiet one that will hold your attention despite a leisurely pace. - MERK

Rockwell_Cronenberg A prime example of the old adage that less is more, Stephen Frears' The Hit starts off with a simple premise and builds from there with the use of well-developed, brilliantly acted characters. Willie Parker (Terence Stamp) is a gangster who sells his pals down the road in order to get off free, but ten years later one of those guys is out of prison and sends his men Braddock and Myron (John Hurt and Tim Roth) to go and collect Willie. All of this is taken care of within the first fifteen minutes and the film at large is the three of them on the road, driving from Spain to Paris in order to bring Willie to his inevitable fate. They're joined along the way by Maggie (Laura Del Sol), a young and exotic companion of an associate they cross paths with early on.It's a very simple idea, but the film succeeds so admirably in keeping the tension high between the three men, confining the action mostly to within the car or nearby it. Willie knows his fate and he doesn't try to escape it, so instead of the usual distractions of chases and struggles, we get to witness interactions between the three on their way to his fate. There's an existentialist journey the film takes us down, as Willie seems resigned to his death and doesn't try to fight it. This presents an interesting query to Braddock and especially Myron, curious as to why he seems so serene with death around the corner. Willie seems to enjoy himself on their trip, whereas Braddock is all business and just going about his job.John Hurt delivers a terrifying performance here, mostly hidden behind Braddock's sunglasses and really diving in to the character to send chills through the audience. The contrast between him and Stamp's self-reflective work is fascinating, especially when combined with the wildly energetic Roth. This was Tim Roth's first film and he explodes on the screen, a wild animal of pure energy, eating up every moment and running away with the entire picture. Much like Roth himself, Myron is on his first assignment and his reactions to the opposing nature of Braddock and Willie drive a lot of the resonating themes of the film. Del Sol provides an erotic, passionate rift in the group dynamic and of course it's the woman who ends up being the thing that gives them the most grief, rather than the man they are supposed to kill.Stephen Frears has long been a favorite director of mine and most of that is due to his versatility. He can go from this kind of hard, cool British pulp gangster movie to doing a wildly erotic period piece like Dangerous Liaisons as if it was any other job. He's one of the most diverse directors in the modern age, but he always manages to tackle his films with a deep precision. The Hit is yet another example of his skills as a director and, thanks in part to the excellent cast and script by Peter Prince, I'd say it's the best film of his career.

eyesour Mr Corrigan would have done better to hire a no-nonsense cleaner, someone like Leon, or Lee Marvin. Although, maybe not. There would hardly have been a story if the job had been efficiently executed. There's no doubt, however, that this is a reflection on The Killers, 1964. Hell, there's even a shot of Stamp's reading matter, which includes a tome by Hemingway, although I couldn't quite make out if it was "Men Without Women", which would have clinched the allusion. Or was it "Death in the Afternoon" ?The real point is that both tales are about the man who does not fear death, because he is already dead. We know why Johnny North is already dead. But why is Terence? Is it because he has chosen to live a comfortable, but unproductive and solitary, apparently celibate life, with only a tyro minder looking after him? He spends his time reading books: anyone who does that to excess gets to thinking about life's meaning, and pondering on death, and what it is like to die. Shooting through, Blue, as the stockman put it.Terence reckons he has solved the riddle. Others have felt the same way. John Donne, for instance. That, Terence, is truly the right way to recite a poem. I salute you. JC noted that it was strange that men should fear, seeing that "death, a necessary end, will come when it will come". Bill put those words in his mouth, at any rate.The message gets to Hurt. He seems rather troubled, worn and weary. Stamp's attitude seems to be bothering him. What is the point of killing people ? They're going to die anyway. What exactly is gained by whacking Terence? In the end Hurt accepts, and that wink is a winner.There's another resemblance to The Killers, 64, and that's the highly dumb, and definitely annoying, trainee. Pain in the neck. He exits the scenery as simple collateral damage.What a terrific film this is ! Beautifully written, shot and acted ! I really liked that shot down the staircase, as the kidnappers break into Stamp's hideaway. The film is full of those lovely bits and pieces. Especially the pulchritudinous senorita, who is definitely not ready to go. I wasn't sure if she was inside or outside her first dress.I've also been looking at IMDb's top 250 list, and just don't get it. Only about 30% of those titles are any good at all. Brilliant work like this isn't on it. 7/10 is an intellectual disgrace. 10/10, and more, from me.

dbborroughs Two hit men go to Spain and pick up a fellow crook who went into hiding years before. They are suppose to drive him back to Paris, however as they hit the road, it quickly becomes clear that things are not what they seem and that the hit men are in for more than they ever bargained for.Tightly plotted and neat little thriller that works thanks to its three stars. Terrence Stamp kicked his career into high gear once more with his turn as the man hauled off for execution. So calm in the face of death its almost unnerving and its not hard to see how he can begin to play his captors like a violin. John Hurt and Tim Roth are his equal as the two hit men who never saw what they were walking into. This is ensemble acting at its finest.This is a great little film. Its worth seeking out.