Mr. Right

photo imdb.com

Written by Max Landis and directed by Paco Cabezas. Martha picks the wrong guys and to be fair, she’s a bit wacky to begin with. Then, in a local convenience store, she meets a guy who she thinks is “Mr. Right” who turns out to be a hitman.

Anna Kendrick plays Martha, the wacky, awkward, and strangely self-absorbed but in a weird self-deprecating kind of way woman. Sam Rockwell plays Francis the Hitman who wears a clown nose when he’s about to kill someone, dances while kicking someone’s butt, and is strangely just as wacky and weird and awkward as Martha. A match made in heaven? So they meet in a small convenience store, hit it off immediately–if you consider the backward dialogue of calling each other weird and stuff hitting it off–they spend the day together and then night (no sex, just cuddling) and Martha realizes she doesn’t know his name. It never came up. Okay. Meanwhile, Francis is being tracked by former partner and undercover FBI Hopper/Reynolds, played by Tim Roth, who is trying to kill him PLUS a bunch of cartel goons trying to hire him to kill the cartel leader. Martha realizes Francis is really a hitman and is hurt and confused at first but then becomes okay with it. All three worlds (the budding relationship, the FBI, and the cartel) eventually collide, a large battle ensues, and Martha realizes her full potential. And everyone lived Happily Ever After…

There are things I really liked about this movie like the whole relationship between Martha and Francis. It’s very natural, they have great chemistry, and their dialogue is so awkward- like they are super honest about themselves and each other, think “no filter”, but it’s delivered in a throw away style which works here. All of their scenes together are fun to watch. Kendrick has some great facial expressions throughout as Martha tries to process what’s happening. Sam Rockwell plays Francis in a charming and disarming way while some serious dance moves. He very fluid in this part. He literally sweeps Martha off her feet. The fight scenes are well choreographed and quite stylish while also being very cheeky with the dialogue between the characters. Francis has a “spidey-sense” way of knowing when things are about to turn and this is shown in a slow-motion style throughout which works but also connects Martha in a deeper way.

Other things in the film didn’t impress me a whole bunch. The cartel were too cliche for me and weren’t very intimidating. (I think that was the point but it didn’t translate for me. Bumbling with guns, running away, or acting tough while trying to keep cool–that sort of thing.) The FBI subplot was kinda lame. Tim Roth’s character Hopper could’ve done all of this without the FBI cover and probably would’ve been a better use of his time. The story arc for Martha is sharp. She goes from drinking for two days because her boyfriend cheats on her, to wearing a unicorn shirt and meeting Francis and falling in love, to being afraid of Francis, then falling for Francis again, then finding her inner T-Rex. Did she have this inside her the whole time and didn’t know until Francis came a long and unlocked her potential? Also, Kendrick is very tiny and the script has her drinking for two solid days plus an additional amount while out with friends later the day. (Before she meets Francis.) She acts a little kooky, but I would suggest based on her weight and the amount of alcohol consumed, she’d more likely be passed out in her closet barely able to speak or stand instead of rambling coherently in the closet and then partying up with friends without a hangover of any kind. She didn’t even have old runny mascara on her face.

Overall, it was cute. It was a good time. Of course, Sam Rockwell is always good no matter what… Available on Netflix. Watch the trailer below:

1 thought on “Mr. Right”

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *