The Killer presents a stylish front, intelligent narration and quality performances, backed by compelling cinematography.
That said, when you take a step back, its still "just another" hit man flick, leaving far shallower footsteps, than say, Leon: The Professional.
Its essentially driven by a very basic story, that's too truncated to add up to anything meaningful, partially compensated for by lashings of action packed, exposition and a degree of quality narrative.
In and of itself, its marginally better than many other knock off's but not by as much, as it might think.
In summary, offers a little extra polish but does not aspire to the iconic heights, of films that made this genre famous, in the first place.
Raw and ruthless - The Killer by David Fincher is basically a 75% thriller 25% action movie that tells about the daily life of a hired hitman - that makes a mistake on job (this is shown in the first 30 min). Then he and who he cares (a girlfriend in Dominican Republic) will pay the price - but things aren't so easy. It reminded me very much the ecstasy of seeing the fist movie incarnation of 007 by Daniel Craig raw violence and not a snobby agent on a suit.
He won't let those whom did he things go impune, so what to do do? Chase one by one, hitman style, silent, evasive, focalized - the prototype of a Sigma male (like others characters aka John Wick, James Bond, etc.).
David Fincher is already know by a huge list of excellent movies including The SOcial Network, Se7ven, Gone Girl, Fight Club, The Zodiac, Mindhunter and the list go on. He already have his established style, violent and gritty and The Killer doesn't go far from it.
Don't get me wrong - this isn't from the "another movie" perspective, by another good movie perspective. Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en, 8mm) wrote the script based on the french comic book 'Le Tueurby" by the writer Matz and artist Luc Jacamon (2000).
Action wise, the movie have more scenes of the standard procedures of the "profession" that raw action, aside from one chapter, where there is a brutal fight (the movie is divided in chapters btw). Michael Fassbender and the others (I am truly a fan of any movie that Tilda Swinton stars) - are the pieces that make the movie especially the first one, raw, obstinate and methodic while always listening to "The Smiths" to keep his mind clean and focus on what to do, to not deviate from the plan.
Although there are few lines of dialog between characters, 90% os the dialog is from Fassbender in first person, on the thoughts in his mind.
Aside from the strange fitting of Morrissey in the music track, we have a minimalistic but sober OST made impeccability by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. This movie is a must watch to anyone that enjoy hitman's movies - I gave it a 8,0 out of 10,0 score / A-.
We may have a contender from adapted screenplay here for the Academy, and maybe for best actor and direction.
