I Hired a Contract Killer (1990)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Aki Kaurismäki

Writers:

Aki Kaurismäki (story)
Aki Kaurismäki (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

13 September 1990 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Tagline:

Lej aldrig yrkesmoerdare i rivningskaakar!

Plot:

After fifteen years' service, Henri Boulanger is made redundant from his job. Shocked, he attempts suicide...

Plot Keywords:

Assassination | Hitman | Suicide By Hitman | Suicide Attempt | Layoff

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Henri Boulanger
Margi Clarke	...	Margaret
Kenneth Colley	...	The Killer
T.R. Bowen	...	Department Head (as Trevor Bowen)
Imogen Claire	...	Secretary (as Immogen Clare)
Angela Walsh	...	Landlady
Cyril Epstein	...	Taxi Driver
Nicky Tesco	...	Pete
Charles Cork	...	Al
Michael O'Hagan	...	The Killer's Boss
Tex Axile	...	Barkeeper
Walter Sparrow	...	Hotel Porter
Tony Rohr	...	Frank
Joe Strummer	...	Guitar Player / Singer
Peter Graves	...	Jeweller

Also Known As:

J'ai engagé un tueur (France)
Vertrag mit meinem Killer (Germany)

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

Finland | UK | Germany | Sweden | France

Language:

English | Finnish

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-10 | Germany:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

The film is dedicated to the memory of Michael Powell.

Quotes:

Margaret: [Henri has just spend a night with Margaret] What about now? You still want to die?
Henri Boulanger: No no, not anymore.
Margaret: Because you met me?
Henri Boulanger: Yes, that's made me change my mind.
Margaret: Only because of my blue eyes?
Henri Boulanger: Are they blue?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bulworth (1998)

Soundtrack:

Ennen Kuolemaa

An intelligent crime comedy with an intriguing premise

Over the course of seven movies, Aki Kaurismäki explored various sides of Finnish life and culture, from the inexorably tragic (The Match Factory Girl) to the upright hilarious (Leningrad Cowboys Go America). For his eighth feature film, he decided to try something new: he moved to England, ditched all of his regular actors, cast his all-time idol (New wave star Jean-Pierre Lèaud) in the lead and came up with one of the most brilliant and bizarre comedies of recent years. Well, not that recent, but it's genius, I can assure you.

The story takes place in London, and begins in what seems to be a very boring office (or at least the work is boring). Because of financial difficulties, some employees have to be made redundant. For some other reason, foreigners are the first victims. In other words, Henri Boulanger (Lèaud) is out of the game. Having lost the only thing he really cared for, he thinks there's nothing left for him in life and therefore tries to kill himself. Repeatedly. And with mediocre results (hanging? The rope is tron apart; putting the head in an oven? Gas strike all over the city).

This makes Henri even more miserable. So sad, in fact, that he eventually asks a professional assassin (Kenneth Colley) to do the job. While waiting for his final hour to come, he goes to a pub. And there the unexpected happens: he meets a woman (Margi Clarke), rediscovers the joy of living and changes his mind. Pity the killer won't...

In someone else's hands, this film could have been an absurd, grotesque, unrealistic parody of gangster movies. Kaurismäki, however, keeps it simple and believable, largely thanks to the controlled performances: Colley stays cold and unaffected throughout the whole film, even when he's coughing blood, while Léaud never abandons his everyman role, doing nothing more than occasionally raise an eyebrow when things take unpredicted turns.

The film is almost perfect, weren't it for one factor: Margi Clarke. With all the talented British actresses available, Kaurismäki had to pick an unknown with no charm and a dreadful accent. This slight casting mistake prevents I Hired a Contract Killer from being an undisputed masterwork, but like all the other movies on Kaurismäki's CV, it's still worth your attention.