The Assassin's Code (2018)

To me, this movie is perfection.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This is a watchable movie more commendable because of its very modest budget. The marketing blurb was somewhat misleading in saying that a ghost-like assassin was stalking the investigative detective, as if said assassin's identity was unknown. We clearly knew the assassin's identity after his dispatch of no less than four victims in the early part of the movie! The over-riding characteristic of this film for me was the very, very pronounced audio - loud musical score, loud sound effects. But this somewhat annoying quirk had a commendable spin-off....it is one of the very few U.S. movies in which the dialogue was easy to follow - no mumbling here. Boy, what a relief. I don't think I'm alone in being critical of the audio, especially diction in films from the U.S. For this improvement here alone, it deserves six stars rather than five.

A classic thriller with a weak script and multiple lackluster perfomances. Another case of a passable story reduced to a unimaginative work that wastes the talents of decent actors. Jason Chatwin does a good job with little support and the work of Peter Stormare is first rate as the baddie. If you like John Wick or Proud Mary you may find this interesting but most will lose interest quickly.

Went to the 5/12 screening at Harmony Gold theatre in Hollywood and really enjoyed the movie. It was a special screening that was promoted by Mark Thompson (of Mark & Brian) that is a co-star in it. Plot was a bit predictable, but the film was good as it had some good laughs, of which the lines were improvised by the actors (as we learned in the Q&A). The score, by Austin Wintory, was really good. It hit the film noir vibe nicely.

Michael Connolly (Justin Chatwin) is a rookie detective assigned to checking in on mail box crimes. When a robbery and a murder takes place he is given the high profile job.This is not a who-dun-it in Cleveland. We knows who did it and Michael has a pretty good idea because Yancy Butler tells him and she was no Huggy Bear.. There wasn't much in surprises. The plot was one we could have picked up from any crime film and it would have played better as a Columbo story. The characters kept the film afloat and they could have build the background info by something other than the boring bar scene. Not a bad film, but one I had trouble remembering five minutes later to write a review. Guide: F-word. Sex. no nudity.