Hit Me (1996)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Steven Shainberg

Writers:

Denis Johnson (writer)
Jim Thompson (novel)

Release Date:

25 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Bellhop | Brother Brother Relationship | Robbery Gone Awry | Illegal Gambling | Deposit Box

Cast

Elias Koteas	...	Sonny Rose
Laure Marsac	...	Monique Roux
Jay Leggett	...	Leroy Rose
Bruce Ramsay	...	Del Towbridge
Kevin J. O'Connor	...	Cougar
Philip Baker Hall	...	Lenny Ish
J.C. Quinn	...	Fred Bascomb
Haing S. Ngor	...	Billy Tungpet
William H. Macy	...	Policeman
Jack Conley	...	Mr. Ish's Bodyguard
Arthur Senzy	...	Peter Stillwell
Tom Lillard	...	Patron

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language, a scene of strong sexuality and some drug use.

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 | USA:R

Company:

Slough Pond

Trivia:

Haing S. Ngor's last film.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the last scene, once the rain stops, the car's windshield goes from streaming wet to very dry in seconds.

Quotes:

Lenny Ish: What is the *worst* thing that you have ever done?
Sonny Rose: Me? Uh, uh... I don't really know.
Lenny Ish: That means you haven't done it yet.

Bad acting

With the success of Secretary director Steven Shainberg's earlier film Hit Me nows comes out on DVD. Unfortunately Hit Me would have benefited from a more experienced director adapting the source material, Jim Thompson's novel A Swell Looking Babe. Thompson's work has been extremely difficult to film inasmuch as most of his writing relates to the inner thoughts and emotions of his characters, rather that simply plot and dialog. Director Shainberg and leading man Elias Koteas attempt to deal with this through an over the top display of physical acting. If facial contortions represent emotion then obviously even more facial contortions represents even more emotion. This is combined with leading lady Laure Marsac who is blank faced throughout the film (although this French actress might have had trouble in English). Jim Thompson's novels contain a strong element of black comedy and initially, based on these acting choices and the bright lighting not associated with noir films, I thought Shainberg was going for black comedy. Imagine my surprise, as the film progressed and I discovered that we were supposed to take this seriously. It completely fails to work. It is not dark enough to reflect Thompson's noir and not comedic enough to reflect Thompson's black comedy. These choices ultimately have to laid at the feet of director Shainberg. Of the lesser characters, William H. Macy, highlighted in the DVD advertising, has a single short scene as a cop questioning Koteas. Macy is amusing as he cites the last meals of various killers. Philip Baker Hall uses his strong presence to offset a poorly written character. Tragically this was Haing S. Ngor's last film before he was senselessly killed in a robbery. He has only a few lines, as a hotel clerk, and its sad to think that this is the last role for an Academy award winner (The Killing Fields). All in all, you would be more entertained buying Thompson's novel than buying this DVD.