Movie Review of The Merry Gentleman

Michael Keaton Directs and Stars as Hit Man in New Indie Drama

Apr 9, 2009

Kelly Macdonald and Bobby Cannavale co-star in this quiet film about redemption.

In a romantic comedy, a man literally finding a woman under a Christmas tree would be a wonderful “meet cute” way to begin their relationship. In The Merry Gentleman, however, this scene becomes vaguely menacing, highly symbolic, and humorously ironic. Although this intricately detailed film includes some mildly romantic content and a few laugh-out-loud moments, it’s mostly a dark drama about people trying to overcome their obstacles and escape their troubled pasts.

Even the title The Merry Gentleman seems darkly ironic. Frank Logan (Michael Keaton of Beetlejuice, Batman), a men’s tailor by day and a hit man by night, struggles daily with his suicidal tendencies. He wears a perpetual frown on his mouth and a scowl around his eyes. While on his way to an assigned kill, he stops to straighten a Nativity scene that was knocked over. This inner struggle between gentleness and brutally leaves him in a constant state of turmoil.

Not knowing anything about Frank’s past or much about his current life, the viewer is left wondering why he continues to murder people when it obviously troubles him tremendously. One night just before Christmas, Kate Frazier (Kelly Mcdonald of Trainspotting) leaves her office building and looks up to welcome the first snowflakes of the season.

From a great distance, Kate witnesses a man standing on the ledge of the building across the street – apparently poised to jump to his death. She screams “No!” and the man falls backward out of sight. Kate soon learns from police that the man shot and killed someone in her same office building, and that she likely saved the killer’s life.

A Merry Christmas for The Merry Gentleman

Having recently fled from her abusive husband (Bobby Cannavale of Third Watch), Kate lives a quiet life in her new environment, and tries to keep her distance physically and emotionally from the new friends, neighbors, and co-workers in her life. Yet when Frank unexpectedly shows up in her apartment building and helps her carry a Christmas tree upstairs, the two quiet, secretive strangers form a bond of sorts.

While Kate’s innocence allows her to open her home and heart to Frank, we fear for her vulnerable situation. Is Frank testing her to see if she recognizes him from that night on the building ledge? Is he plotting to kill her? Did he visit to thank her for saving his life? Is his intention to question her about how much the detectives (Guy Van Swearingen and Tom Bastounes) know about the case? Could Frank actually like her and want a relationship? His motives remain a mystery to her (and to the viewer), but it’s obvious that neither Frank nor Kate have anyone else to share the holidays with except each other.

Michael Keaton’s Directorial Debut

First-time feature film director Keaton seems to have put his heart and soul into this fine film written by Ron Lazzeretti (Flowers, Last Day). The stark cold city (like some of the characters) becomes blanketed in the soft white snow from above, an almost protective gesture like Frank’s repeated offerings to give Kate his coat to shield her from the frigid air.

Subtle body language, double entendres that only the audience understands (but not the characters), and numerous symbols that hint at a heaven/hell, angel/devil dichotomy make The Merry Gentleman a film worthy of a long conversation afterward and perhaps even a second viewing. Despite its intentionally slow thriller pacing, there’s a lot of movie packed into these 97 minutes.

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