Merry Gentleman, The

Synopsis
Lonely guy Frank Logan (Michael Keaton) meets cute with his addled neighbor, Kate (Kelly MacDonald), under a fallen Christmas tree, and these two bruised souls gradually begin to approach something like redemption under each other's caring eye. Of course they have their problems: Frank is actually a suicidal hitman and he's being stalked by an alcoholic cop (Tom Bastounes) with romantic designs on Kate, who he suspects saw Frank commit the murder he's investigating. Frank begins to plan another hit, but just when, why, or who maybe not even he knows. It's a remarkably promising directorial debut for Keaton (BATMAN, BEETLEJUICE) who shows a generosity and wisdom in letting the amazing Macdonald (Josh Brolin's wife in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN) keep her Scottish accent and voice most of the dialogue in the film. A captivating screen presence, MacDonald gamely embodies an array of conflicting but complementary tics and emotions, which--like Frank's--are caught between the need to conceal the truth and the just-as-pressing need to express it. Bobby Cannavale (THE TEN) is good in his big scene as Kate's abusive cop-husband, and the ending is almost as surprising as the breadth of artistry Keaton shows behind the camera, making it a surprise sleeper all the way.

Reviews
"[A]n interesting effort from first-time feature director Michael Keaton....Directorially, the film is structured well and has a darkness that suits the material." (Hollywood Reporter)

3.5 stars out of 4 -- "THE MERRY GENTLEMAN is original, absorbing and curiously moving....Watch Keaton. His is a complex performance, evoking a damaged man who has, somewhere inside, ordinary emotions." (Chicago Sun-Times)

"[A] dark and lovely drama about the complications of human connections that is Michael Keaton's impressive directing debut. It's a haunting story..." (Los Angeles Times)

"[A]n austere, nearly pitch-perfect character study of two mismatched yet ideally matched souls..." (New York Times)