Review: Richard Linklater’s ‘Hit Man’ Follows the Rules Too Much
Richard Linklater’s latest is disappointingly by-the-book, despite two great performances and a good enough script
There is no denying that Richard Linklater is a great director, or that he has the ability to make terrific films. Not only is his work on the outskirts of Hollywood some of the best and most memorable that American cinema has had to offer over the last thirty years (specifically his absolutely brilliant Before trilogy and films like Boyhood or Dazed and Confused) but Linklater also has a great ability to make a real crowdpleaser. One need only look at the wonderful Jack Black led School of Rock to see that Linklater is a versatile filmmaker, one able to move pretty seamlessly between making a mainstream hit, being an outsider, or making both poignant dramas, dystopian science fiction films and laugh-out-loud comedies. He can do anything, but he also undeniably has a hit or miss tendency. For every Before Midnight, there’s a forgettable effort like Fast Food Nation or Me and Orson Welles (the latter isn’t terrible, surprisingly).
Often an experimenter within film, sometimes it’s nice to see Linklater relax a little and lean into making a fun, lively hit — a classic romp, a rarity in contemporary Hollywood which focuses on…
