Dead in France

Charles is a hitman who has reached his quota for hits. In his game, once you reach that quota you can happily retire and live out the rest of your life anyway you like. For Charles, all he wants is to settle down with the right woman. One that will love him, cook for him, clean for him. Well, mostly clean for him. He’s a bit weary of germs.

Out there in the world other hitmen, or hitwomen, don’t feel as excited for Charles as he feels for himself. Some of them have scores to settle with Charles and others just don’t want Charles to retire based on their own selfish needs. So by the end of the film Charles will either find the love of his life and settle down, or Charles will be dead. Which one will it be.

It’s very easy to see this film and instantly start throwing around names like Tarantino, Ritchie, even Sonnenfeld (Get Shorty), and for the most part I did. The music, the use of a muted palette, the expanding group of quirky characters throughout the film that range from a beautiful woman, con men, psycho’s, and unseen characters. It all seemed so very familiar, and then the story simply took on a life of its own.

Producer, writer (penned under Jack Hillgate), and star Brian Levine (The Bible In Vision) plays the wooden Charlie the Hitman pretty well. At first I thought that Levine just wasn’t a very good actor, but in the end I realized that his performance was perfect for this anti-social, socially inept, mysophobic hitman. He appears wooden, but really he’s playing it perfect.

In support roles you have the sexy Celia Muir as Lisa, Charles’ house cleaner and love interest. While Charles hasn’t been quite honest with her about what he does Lisa also has a few skeletons in her closet, the worst is named Denny. Denny (Darren Bransford; Esther) is Lisa’s psychotic boyfriend who, along with Lisa, has put together a scam using Charles’ house, that will make them a lot of money. Things go relatively smooth until Denny, searching through Charles’ things, finds a gun.

Simon (Lee Cheney; The Cosmonaut) and Ray (James Privett; Travellers) are brothers and con-men who find they’ve picked the wrong man to con. Their botched attempt at stealing money from Charles has put them in hot water, but a chance encounter with an old friend puts them in the position to get their revenge and their hands on Charles’ money.

Meanwhile Clancy (Kate Loustau; Doctor Who - Bad Wolf), a psychotic hitwoman, is still holding a grudge against Charles for a job he took that should have been hers. She vows not to let him retire until she gets the money from that job, and then maybe she won’t let him retire at all, and she’s only the first hitman that has a score to settle with Charles.

By the end of the film I was oblivious to any type of comparisons towards other filmmakers and their works. Dead In France was a good time with some hilarious characters, odd ball moments, and smooth violence. Though I admit I didn’t really love the black and white platform, it played oddly with the solidity of the picture, it was a film I can see myself watching again and again. Mostly original, hilarious, and cool.