One of the delights of life is to sometimes unexpectedly behold a
little-known gem that thrills you with its ingenuity. Usually one
experiences this in an old film. To find this in a film playing in the
theatres now is sheer luck.
"Hit And Run" is one such film made by a passionate bunch of people,
which but for a relatively lesser known cast and bad luck of not having a
better studio patronising it, would have been the toast of the town.
Under witness-protection in small town America, Charlie (Dax Shepard)
falls in love with Annie (Kirsten Bell). When she gets a new job in Los
Angeles, Charlie decides to drop her off despite the possible dangers.
Annie's jealous ex-lover not only follows them, but gets both his cop
brother and Charlie's arch-enemy Alex (Bradley Cooper) on their tail.
What follows is a hilarious ride where a doctorate in non-violent
conflict resolution is paired with a former bank robber trying
desperately to control himself, a nutty ex-lover crossing path with an
accident prone federal marshal with a gay cop and his nerdy partner and a
crazy gangster in hot pursuit through rural America.
"Hit and Run" literally hits and runs over you with its ingenious and
delightful humour. Be warned though for you can't expect the over the
top, outlandish comedy Hollywood is known for.
Instead you have a very refined comedy riding on some very sophisticated
writing and neatly conceptualised sequences and well thought out
characters and their idiosyncrasies.
Amongst all the good things about the film, the best are its writing and
romance. The writing of the romance is so real and observant of
couple's mannerisms of debate and fights, that it is surprising to see
it on screen. That the lead pair of Dax and Kirsten are real life
couples, perhaps helps the believability of their love.
More than commerce, the film is a work of sheer passion where Dax
Shepard not only plays the lead but is also the writer, co-director,
co-producer and co-editor of the film. He and David Palmer, who have
co-directed a forgettable film before, refine their creative partnership
in this.
The sophistication of the film might prove to be a drawback at the box
office, as viewers expecting a typical comedy might be surprised by it
and not many pleasantly so. However, those who enjoy a good sprinkling
of intelligence in their comedies will have a rocking time.
A perfect movie to go with your partner as it mixes and satiates the
urges of both parties involved - the need for romance and the urge for
masculine cars and thrilling action.
