Director: Michael Keaton
Starring: Michael Keaton, James Marsden, Suzy Nakamura, Al Pacino, Marcia Gay Harden
Running Time: 114 minutes
Synopsis: John Knox (Michael Keaton) is a veteran professional assassin who completes assignments with his partner Muncie (Ray McKinnon). Knox is diagnosed with rapidly progressing dementia, and soon afterwards botches a job, leaving behind unintended victims. Then his estranged son Miles (James Marsden) reappears, asking for help to clean up a messy murder. With detective Ikari (Suzy Nakamura) closing in, Knox has to find a way to assist his son before he completely loses his mind.
What Works Well: Michael Keaton directs himself in a thoughtful end-of-the-road drama, where health degradation, professional decline, and personal regrets merge into one final resolution. As director, Keaton demonstrates an eye for interesting angles, while the Gregory Poirier script is admirably interested in all the characters, including Knox's once-a-week mistress (Joanna Kulig) and the detectives sifting through ill-fitting evidence. Jolts of action and violence add a sometimes gory spark, while Al Pacino and Marcia Gay Harden (as Knox' ex-wife) contribute a classy touch to the cast.
What Does Not Work As Well: The complex central plot generates plenty of tactical machinations but with annoyingly opaque objectives, despite easy-to-discern intent.
Key Quote:
Knox: I'm getting worse every hour...it's like a curtain coming down.
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