The Hit

An excellent mixture of gangster flick and road trip movie. Think The Guilt Trip meets Corky Romano. I probably should've come up with better examples of those genres.

Kind of a meditative version of Rabid Dogs, part hostage thriller, part character drama. A wonderful core cast, these characters have a very engaging dynamic, full of posturing and tension, it's like a four-way cat-and-mouse game at times. I got the impression that Frears thinks the material is more thoughtful than it actually is, but there are some clever moments, and it's all put together quite well. An interesting journey, with enough suspense and entertainment to keep the viewer engaged.

Stephen Frears's theatrical debut is sort of a meditation on the inevitability of death masquerading as an incredibly low key crime film. Hurt is far more menacing that you expect. Stamp smiles more than any other film he's been in. Roth is all dumb, nervous energy. They make their way across the incredibly picturesque Spanish countryside and you wonder ... has Stamp really accepted his fate or does he think he'll eventually get a chance?

They made the final scene of The Long Good Friday into an entire movie. It's riveting.

The Spanish setting, Paco de Lucia score and offbeat characters build up an effectively bewitching atmosphere, which Frears’ unorthodox direction only heightens further. The story however loses its way as the actions of John Hurt's cold assassin become increasingly implausible towards the conclusion, undercutting the otherwise believable and highly cynical tone.

I can't help but think that I would have liked if I saw it in 1984, specifically before Tarantino and the films influenced by him were made. I think the casting hurt a bit, particularly with the casting of John Hurt. (Terrence Stamp was solid, though.) The films existential approach to death was the most interesting part.

An unconventional type of road movie in which the destination (that is, death) constantly simmers just beneath the surface. It's a very thoughtful film, and by the end I was surprised at just how poignant a contemplation on life and death this is. There's a really tremendous sense of location, featuring lots of beautiful Spanish vistas. Even if I didn't completely fall in love with the movie, there are no particularly glaring flaws to note.

An intriguing combination of road trip and crime caper, blessed with a strong cast led by John Hurt and Tim Roth to make up for the kind-of basic dialogue. Occasionally its lightheartedness feels like a thin coat of paint over contrivance, and the Spanish guitar soundtrack is imposed uncomfortably over the action scenes, but the plot stays interesting and unpredictable throughout.

A bizarre road movie that is unhinged and unpredictable. Three of the UK's most idiosyncratic actors, Roth, Hurt and Stamp, seem all to be from different universes, and they make for a frustratingly incongruous trio. I couldn't make very much of it all, and the only thing I came away with was the remarkable waterfall scene.

The photography is great, as is the cast (Terrence Stamp, John Hurt and Tim Roth), legendary guitarist Paco de Lucía's soundtrack generates a suitable atmosphere, and the road-movie-cum-crime-film plot with philosophical connotations is certainly intriguing. On the downside, "The Hit" for the most part shies away from pathos, its character work is a little confusing (it's hard to believe these hitmen would endanger themselves like this every step of the way), and it eventually just fizzles out.

A British gangster movie that quickly turns into a road trip across backcountry Spain. The car is full of talent with a fresh-faced Tim Roth, a man-of-few-words John Hurt, a pensive Terrance Stamp, and a beautiful Laura del Sol. The film takes on machismo and the reckoning we do when faced with death. Everyone seems tough until there time is up.

Cool existentialist gangster movie the goes far on the back of Stamp's screen presence and the strong acting from everyone around him. It's the script that allows them the room to shine through a mix of action and meditation, creating a rhythm of up and down moments which Stamp's character navigates in interesting ways.

Hardly any critics at the time grasped the film's intermingling of the hip and the high-minded. Today's critics, comparatively at least, would welcome it in the company of its offspring, like Gangster No. 1, Sexy Beast and In Bruges, and the American counterparts contributed by the Coens and Tarantino. A few films have mythologized British underworld since Michael Caine's glory days. The Hit challenged it in unique ways.

I like the team of John Hurt (as the cold-blooded and ruthless hitman) and Tim Roth (as the youthful new wave hitman), but nothing else about this strikes me as particularly noteworthy or memorable.

Not quite sure I got it. Criterion release for what reason exactly?

78.000

Tim Roth's debut film. waste of time. don't f**k with Zod!

Surprisingly good - many of the thanks goes to Stamp's performance, but also to Hurt [who was the reason I watched it in the first place].

75.250

When even John Hurt can't save a film, you know it's bad...

Low-key drama gets better and better as it goes along; Frears brings an unusally distinctive directorial style to bear (especially love that overhead shot outside the petrol station), backed by excellent star turns from Stamp and especially Hurt. Roth in his film debut is also fine, and Aussie viewers will be amused by a cameo from "Mr Australia" Bill Hunter! Quite savage and bleak at times, but also surprisingly funny, mostly thanks to Stamp's bemused detachment. "We'll meet again..."

Mostly forgettable but there are interesting turns from Hurt and a young Tim Roth.

quote (poignant):death...is just a stage in the journey. it's just a moment, we're here and we're not here.... quote (humorous): (singing) we'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when.....reminiscent of, and not equal to, antonioni's the passenger.....landscapes, dust, long distance shots...but more talky, with a bit of humour thrown in.

This rare contemplative film about mobsters and hitmen is a meditation on death and the surprising resources and contradictions of human character. Stamp, Hurt and Roth are excellent, Prince's dialogue is sharp and laconic, and Frears' direction is always intelligent. In addition, the film benefits by evocative Spanish locations complemented by a fine Eric Clapton score. I don't buy all the surprising things the characters do--particularly Hurt's hitman--but the film holds up in spite of this.

Stylish, pared down which contemplates an informer's fate quite philosophically after he is tracked down by the crims he grassed on. The tension comes from the quandries the characters find themselves in, not from action sequences, and the acting is first rate.

Incredibly tense film with an absolutely superb cast. The entire build up is stellar but it doesn't give a really satisfactory ending. Still it's an unconventional ride that's well worth seeing if you like one of the most different looks at "hitmen" you'll ever see.

Good film.