Murder by Contract

The musical motif in the opening is incredibly luring. Anything can come after it. I've always been fascinated by characters who are emotionless or at least very good at hiding their emotions. Claude is like that. He's a hit man. He doesn't know the victims; he kills them and adds more money toward his dream house. But one day he gets a job that's not like the others. For the first time, he's about to kill a woman. This is a man who knows exactly what he's doing and what he wants. But things could start to fall apart for him, too. It's a great idea that's not filmed harshly or violently, but rather quite civilly yet still raw. As the film approaches its conclusion, it becomes almost brilliant in the use of camera angles, acting, and music. A beautiful example of what sometimes, unfortunately, gets lost or at least somewhat overlooked. (11.12.2013)