HITMAN

France/USA, 2007, 93 minutes, Colour.
Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, Olga Kurylenko, Robert Knapper, Ulrich Thomsen, Henry Ian Cusick, Michael Offei.
Directed by Xavier Gens.

Except for a couple of bloody shoot-ups scattered through this thriller, this is not a bad film version of a video game. It presupposes a worldwide conspiracy where a completely hidden company has genetically modified assassins for hire. (And the credits show the orphan children chosen and experimented on – supervised by a cleric to the strains of Ave Maria! – but nothing is really made of this except that the dramatic finale is in an Orthodox church and tower.)

The setting is Russia (with city and countryside sequences filmed in Bulgaria, looking very attractive at times) with a commission to kill the Russian president in public. There is quite some double-dealing here – and dealing in doubles – with Dougray Scott representing Interpol and being thwarted by the head of the new Russian secret service (Rob Knepper).

The focus is on Agent 47, no name, a kind of illegally authorised ‘license to kill’ undercover no-name agent. He is played with suave menace by Timothy Olyphant (better known for rather slacker or sleazy roles). His manner, walk and violent and asexual behaviour means that he is rather like ‘Roboassassin’. (And the Russian security guards are overdressed in armour that would be more at home defending Darth Vader.)

An above average version of this kind of thing for the fans – and those who enjoy action and conspiracy thrillers.

1.The popularity of films from computer games? The quality of this adaptation? Like a game? More realistic?

2.The Bulgarian settings, standing in for Russia, St Petersburg, the countryside? The city, the buildings, hotels, cathedral? The countryside? The London settings? Authentic, credible? The atmospheric musical score?

3.The title, direct, the focus on Agent 47? The pursuit by Interpol? The FBS in Russia?

4.The credits, the background of Ave Maria? The children, the explanation, the agency, the orphans, the experimentation, their living together, adapting them to be killers? The presence of the priest? The sinister aspect of this organisation? Providing hired killers?

5.The London sequence: Agent 47, in the house, Mike returning, their confrontation, the discussion about what it was to be good, how to kill a person or not? This is the framework for the flashback? The finale, Mike’s comments, his talking about himself, Agent 47 accepting this? Disappearing?

6.The African sequences? Niger, the generals, the assassinations? Mike and his presence? Pursuing the agent? The explosions? The explanations of deaths throughout the world? Mike and the Interpol pursuit?

7.Agent 47, appearance, dress, head, the band on the back of his head? Bald? Laconic way of speaking? Seemingly emotionless? Trained and genetically geared to do a job? Lack of response to women? Reading the magazines and the articles about men and women? His contact with Diana, the commissions? Payment? The set-up for the assassination of the Russian president?

8.The Russian president, his reputation, moderate? Agent 47 to kill him in public? The shot, obscured, the witness, the blood splatter? His escaping, convinced that he had killed the president? The president alive, going into the meeting?

9.The Russians, the FBS, the chief, the crime scene, warnings to Mike? The Russian personality, sinister? The background of the president, shielding his drug-dealing brother? The reality of the doubles? Their being genetically changed? Appearance the same, different personality? The long years of planning the conspiracy? The role of the brother, his decadence, drugs, sexuality? Confrontation by Agent 47, the massacre? As a bait to the double for the president?

10.Mike, Jenkins as his assistant? Their efficiency, their enquiries? Following the letter of the law? Their work together, getting closer to Agent 47? The pursuit, the warehouse? The shootout? Agent 47 shooting Mike? Letting him live? Allowing himself to be seen?

11.Nika, her relationship with the president, the brutality with which she was treated? A bought prostitute? On the street, an alleged witness? The agents confronting her, taking her? Her being provocative? The room, the meals, sexuality? His leaving her? At the dinner, his poisoning the guest, shooting the guards in the restrooms? His injecting her, her sleeping, his going out on his mission?

12.The confrontation with Udre, the explanation, the massacre?

13.The funeral, the president going? The scene between the double and the head of the FBS? The nature of the plan? The agent and his tying up the FBS chief? The bath, the barbed wire, the detonation – and the change of orders to kill the president?

14.The funeral, the president, the security guards (looking as if they were from Star Wars?)? The attempt on the president, the bullet-proof glass? The agent, his escape into the tower, the shootings, the confrontation with the president, shooting him?

15.The finale, Nika and her parents’ promise of a vineyard, his giving the gift to her? His disappearing – into the sequel?