I must admit my heart sank a little when, having opted to watch a recent film directed by the estimable David Fincher, I realised that The Killer was based on a graphic novel, which isn't necessarily a recipe for a story of any depth. My doubts were compounded when the film began very slowly indeed - clearly a deliberate decision on Fincher's part, but I felt he overdid it. Fortunately, things began to improve and, although the story is oddly episodic, several of the set-piece scenes were truly gripping.
The film opens with an assassin philosophising in a room in Paris as he prepares to shoot a target. There's nothing terribly original about his various mantras ('Trust no-one' etc) and things drag strangely before finally he shoots - and misses his intended victim. Perhaps the philosophising distracted him, who knows? He makes a hasty getaway and is next scene in the Dominican republic, where it turns out he has a hideaway. Unfortunately someone has been there and tortured his girlfriend, who somehow manages to survive.
The rest of the film sees the assassin pursuing vengeance against the people responsible. So it's a pretty straightforward story, but it has some very interesting moments, for instance in an encounter with a corrupt lawyer and his secretary. The assassin uses an ever-changing variety of aliases (using the names of characters from American sitcoms) and there's a fight scene against the background of an episode of Antiques Roadshow, starring Fiona Bruce. These sporadic touches of humour offer some relief from the bleakness of the protagonist's worldview and meticulous execution of his plans. I also very much liked his encounter in a restaurant with a woman known as 'the Expert', played by Tilda Swinton; a cameo part, yes, but she does a great job. The ending of the film is surprisingly ordinary, but somehow (and I don't say this as a criticism) that's in keeping with the mood of the lead character.
Michael Fassbender makes a very good assassin, conveying the right level of believable menace and attention to detail. I don't think The Killer is as compelling as Fincher's best films, but after that iffy start it certainly kept me interested.
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