How can a movie be dull when the main character flees her abusive husband, moves to a big city and then witnesses a hit man (unbeknownst to her) about to commit suicide by jumping off a building? See The Merry Gentleman -- Michael Keaton's directorial debut -- and find out.
When Kate (Kelly Macdonald) screams at the sight of the man about to end it all, he's so startled that he trips backwards and lands safely on the roof of the building. He shows up at her place a few days later, and is so utterly charmless, we wonder why even an abused spouse would let him into her apartment, much less her life.
The camera lingers ... and lingers ... on scenes in which not much happens. Keaton says a handful of words during the entire movie, and sleepwalks through the scenes he does have. There are some detectives involved and one of them figures something out, although we're never sure how we did it. Nor do we care.
I slogged it out, simply because good reviews made me believe the slow pace would ultimately have a payoff. Not so much.
Kelly Macdonald is plenty good as the world-weary Kate. Would that she had better material. Avoid this big snooze of a movie. Skip it.
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