btm1 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.

novelty-5 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.

Matthew Sadowski It obvious that director Christopher Warre Smets loves movies. It's also clear that he has seen a lot of them. Something that recalls Tarantino.While watching the theatrical premiere during the Canadian Film Festival just last week, there were many moments where I could see the influence of films from another era. The opening sequence is beautiful and beyond it being the only part in black and white, the film does a great job of having a retro film noir aesthetic while combining it with modern pacing and humor. I don't know what to compare it to as it's not an action film or thriller. The first film that comes to mind is The Professional, as I see parallels in it's treatment of love, family and relationships amidst killing for hire.Totally recommend it.

cottage14 We didn't know what to hope for when we sat down to watch The Last Hit Man. The trailer sort of prepared us for more of an action film. There's plenty of action, but the real story is more internal. We got very caught up in it.There are some very funny lines and almost a screwball style to parts of the movie, especially at the start; and then it settles into a bit of a nightmare and leads to a conclusion that is at the same time satisfying and open-ended.In the "about" feature the director said that during shooting the main actors would come to him with suggestions about lines that could be cut to make the story tighter and the to tell more by saying less. The result works pretty well, even though there is a slight sag toward pathos at one point.We will certainly watch it again, and will buy copies of the DVD to share with others.LATE NEWS!~ April 2: "Last Hit Man" won Best Feature Film at the Canadian Film Festival in Toronto in March!