My name is Frank. I Kill People.
Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have hit upon an interesting concept with You Kill Me. Frank Falenczyk (Ben Kingsley) is a hit-man for the Polish Mob. In his heyday, Frank was the best. Killing seems to come natural to Frank. It seems that nothing would suit him better. But Frank has a drinking problem. The problem is affecting his work. After falling asleep drunk while setting up an ambush for rival family boss Edward O'Leary (Dennis Farina), the family decides that Frank needs to dry out.
The Don, Roman Krzeminski (Philip Baker Hall) decides a change of climate from the cold Buffalo Winter might provide the right atmosphere for Frank to get a fresh start. This includes attending AA Meetings, where Frank reluctantly participates, but seems to find a quick connection to the meetings. Frank also finds a part-time job that is right up his alley. Frank takes a job working at a funeral home, preparing bodies for their viewings. He seems to take a strange pleasure in his work. Frank also meets a new (much younger) love interest in the often jilted Laurel Pearson (Tea Leoni). Together, they work through rehab, emotional baggage and bigger problems that await Frank back home.
Markus and McFeely choose to play Frank as a straight-man. The offbeat humor is set up situationally with Frank playing the unwitting character being spoofed. Kingsley does an exceptional job creating a Frank that seems colorless on the surface yet has tremendous dimension. The decision to have Frank embrace his rehab with much of the same zeal that he views his profession was a wise one. It seems Frank doesn't quite grasp the implications of standing in front of a group of AA strangers and confessing to his murders. The relationship between Frank and Pearson also provides the same rigidity that creates interesting interactions. Nothing about the relationship seems right, other than the fact that it works. The writing in You Kill Me was brilliant. However, the pacing seemed slow and tedious at times and the plot was often predictable. Strong characters, unique situations and superb dialogue carry this film.
The acting in You Kill Me was hammy at times, but that seemed intentional. With quirky characters and offbeat situations, the actors were faced with many decisions on how to project their characters. Kingsley was spot on with his deadpan killer that actually seems to have a soft side. He brings exactly the right amount of sober fun to the film. I am not a big fan of Leoni, but she seemed to have the right chemistry with Kingsley. For some odd reason, the relationship between the two worked for me. Reluctantly, I must admit that much of that success is due to Leoni's performance. The way the writers constructed Hall's character created an excellent opportunity for him to inject believable humanity into his character. The supporting cast allowed the film to progress without distraction, but none of the other actors stood out to me as exceptional.
You Kill Me appears to be an overlooked Canadian film that was released in 2007. The film was shot on a paltry four million dollar budget and may be lucky if it broke even. The 93 minute film did not feel short, but some pacing issues did cause it to drag a few times. The MPAA gave this film an R rating for language, violence and some adult situations. There was also an innate morbidity in the film that played to the humorous aspect of the film.
I am not sure why You Kill Me was so easily overlooked. Maybe it was released in a tough Summer time slot. Maybe the R rating kept broader audiences away. Maybe the concept didn't accurately portray the film as the interesting quirky character-driven comedy that it was. Some pacing issues and predictability did little to offset the excellent concept, great dialogue, strong acting, eccentric characters and droll humor. This hidden gem provides a great opportunity to catch up on an out-of-the-ordinary comedy. Strongly recommended. 7.5/10.
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