Michael Keaton both stars in and directs this slow-burn crime drama about a contract hitman suffering from rapidly developing dementia. This marks Keaton’s second effort behind the camera, following 2007’s little-seen The Merry Gentlemen, a dark drama about another hitman undergoing a crisis. There are a number of superficial similarities between that film and this thriller. This film was released in the US under the title Knox Goes Away, while here in Australia is has been re-titled Assassin’s Plan, a title that does admittedly suit the material.
Gregory Poirier, who also wrote National Treasure: Book of Secrets, provides the script and revisits the familiar trope of a hitman embarking on one final job. Assassin’s Plan is a quiet and controlled character study, police procedural and noir-like crime drama. In some ways the film may remind audiences of Christopher Nolan’s superior Memento, although here the structure is more straightforward.
Keaton plays John Knox, a contract killer who is diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and incurable form of dementia. Given only weeks to live Knox sets out to remedy a few past injustices. This involves him trying to save his estranged son Miles (James Marsden) who has killed the on-line predator who raped his 16-year-old daughter. Knox hasn’t spoken to or seen his son since Miles was responsible for sending him to prison for tax evasion. But one night he is visited by Miles who has a bloodied hand and informs Knox that he has just killed the man who raped his daughter.
Knox agrees to help cover up Miles’ involvement in the crime, but he has to write down his detailed plan in a notebook he carries with him to ensure that he can follow his plan even as his memory fades. But with the police closing in Knox finds himself caught up in a race against time to clean up the crime scene and ensure that his son is not convicted of the murder.
Keaton’s performance is more introspective here, but he brings an offbeat charm to his enigmatic character. Keaton and Poirier slowly tease out some background details about Knox and we learn that he is a former soldier, has two PhDs and loves books. Keaton slowly reveals the gaps in his memory through some visual techniques, courtesy of cinematographer Marshall Adams (El Camino) and jump cuts from editor Jessica Hernandez (The Punk Singer) that show his occasional sense of disorientation. Alex Heffes’ brooding sax heavy score reinforces the bleak nature of the material.
Keaton has also assembled a strong supporting cast. Al Pacino contributes a small but important role as Xavier Crane, Knox’s enigmatic employer who is aware of Knox’s fading memory and who keeps a watchful eye on him to ensure he doesn’t jeopardise their relationship. Ray McKinnon brings an edge of menace to his role as Muncie, Knox’s long-term partner in crime. Marcia Gay Harden plays Knox’s ex-wife Ruby; Suzy Nakamura is good as Ikari, the relentless detective who slowly pieces together the clues that allow her to solve the crime. Joanna Kulig (Cold War) plays Annie, a Polish prostitute who visits Knox on a weekly basis and begins to suspect there’s something wrong with him.
Keaton’s direction is slow and deliberately measured and the pace requires patience to stay with the film. He builds the tension as the film heads towards a rather downbeat finale. But Assassin’s Plan is let down ultimately by some unbelievable contrivances and a couple of unlikely twists.
Greg King
Other reviews you might enjoy:
Greg King has had a life long love of films. He has been reviewing popular films for over 15 years. Since 1994, he has been the film reviewer for BEAT magazine. His reviews have also appeared in the Herald Sun newspaper, S-Press, Stage Whispers, and a number of other magazines, newspapers and web sites. Greg contributes to The Blurb on film
