Celebrated director David Fincher has a distinctive style, and it’s one that’s well-known and beloved by many cinephiles. There’s a passion that comes through in his latest project “The Killer,” a story adapted from the French graphic novel series by Alexis “Matz” Nolent. The film has an atmospheric tone that’s moody and brooding, but the darkly comedic moments paired with an acerbic cynicism combine for a wildly entertaining (and very smart) film. It’s like “Fight Club” and “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” came together to create the most Fincher-y movie ever. This film is a mood, and that mood screams David Fincher.
When a professional hitman (Michael Fassbender) botches an important, high profile job in Paris, he risks public exposure and must quickly get himself to a safe house in the Dominican Republic. When he arrives, he finds his lady friend has been nearly beaten to death by unknown assailants. Fueled by anger and a thirst for vengeance, the killer goes on a violent revenge bender to hunt those responsible for the attack.
Fassbender has finally found a role that’s tailor-made to suit him, playing to every strength he has. Dare I say he is flawless here as a detail-oriented professional killer who has a penchant for noshing on protein and firing up a playlist featuring songs by the Smiths to get him in the zone. His character never reveals his name, making him an anonymous ghost in the crowd. He lives a life of routine with a job that just so happens to involve a sniper rifle. With a mantra of “anticipate, don’t improvise” and a proclivity to meticulously calculate every last detail, he’s a man who obsesses over it all. In a way, Fincher’s style mirrors his lead character, as he’s well known as being notoriously controlled and detailed.
Choosing to let the killer narrate his own story is a gutsy move, but Andrew Kevin Walker‘s writing is one of the strongest elements of the film. His prose is worldly, smart, and sophisticated (it’s one of my favorite scripts of the year). Fincher wisely lets Walker’s words do much of the heavy lifting.
The director’s visual style is in top form here too, including a thrilling fight to the death that feels disturbingly authentic and his signature precise stylistic choices like desaturated colors, a monochromatic palate, and shot blocking and composition that makes it clear you’re watching a Fincher project.
Fincher once again surrounds himself with the best talent, including an accomplished cast (featuring Tilda Swinton, Kerry O’Malley, and Charles Parnell) as well as reuniting with his “Se7en” screenwriter Walker and choosing to work once again with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (in their fifth collaboration with the director) to create a disconcerting, methodical score.
Stylish and visually striking, everything comes together to make “The Killer” a solid success of a film.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 