The main critique/commentary/talking point concerning Fincher’s latest hitman thriller has to do with it being a cynical/somewhat on-the-nose response to the negative criticisms of Mank. Almost like he’s trying to make up for something at the same time. I get why folks feel that way. In my personal opinion, Mank has zero original style. It’s also boring. The bad kind of of boring. This is going to sound harsh but it felt like...nothing. This time around Fincher made a film that was all about style. That ice-cold euro style reminiscent of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The Killer certainly has a handful of exciting moments but for the most part it’s also pretty boring. But the good/interesting kind of boring. Imagine The Killer in a triple feature with Anton Corbjin’s The American and Jarmusch’s The Limits Of Control. “The cool silent Hitman trilogy” (you could add The Mechanic in there and make it a quadtrilogy)
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| The American / The Killer
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I don’t think The Killer is a cynical response or Fincher apologizing for anything (if anything, The Killer makes up for Michael Fassbender in The Snowman). I think it’s more of a “slick” response in that he’s saying; “you think I don’t have any style after Mank? Well watch this…”. He took the negative criticisms of his previous feature as a challenge and made a mostly fun feature length stylish music video (that isn’t an insult as Fincher’s roots are in music videos which are all over his latest feature).
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| Express Yourself / The Killer |
And to be clear - there is a plot concerning revenge after a botched assassination but, The Killer is all about style at the end of the day (and maybe a deeper meaning about covering your tracks after a fuck up at work). That might not be for everyone but it certainly worked for me.
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| Le Samourai / Ghost Dog / The Killer |
Naturally like The Killer pulls from every single classic hitman movie in existence. This is also a voyeuristic film so there are plenty of homages to Fincher's hero; Alfred Hitchcock…
I've probably seen REAR WINDOW sixty times. I know his movies inside and out - David Fincher, http://www.musicolog.com/fincher_interview.asp
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| Psycho / The Killer |
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| Vertigo / The Killer |
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| The American / The Killer |
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| Rear Window / The Killer
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| Vertigo / The Killer |
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| Rear Window / The Killer |
Movies like this is where Fincher is at his best for me. Style over substance is the pocket I prefer Fincher to be in. Lens flares, electronic music, etc. But that’s just me. I doubt I’ll be thinking about The Killer in a few months but I certainly enjoyed it in the moment.
