Every couple of months I stumble upon a true hidden gem. A true hidden gem that comes out of nowhere and makes the time I spend on potentially good unknown movies that turn out to be bad worthwhile. Behind the straightforward title Dusk For A Hitman hides a gritty and gripping crime thriller based on actual events. Since the original title for the movie is Crépuscule Pour un Tueur, I thought this was a French movie. It turned out that this is a Canadian movie in French about Donald Lavoie a cold-blooded hitman for the infamous Dubois Brothers gang. And you know me, give me a crime story in French and I’m gonna watch it.
Right off the bat, you’re going to notice that this isn’t some crappy B movie. Dusk For A Hitman features excellent production values, efficient direction, and tight storytelling. The story takes us back to the seventies, a time when Donald Lavoie was the main hitman for the gang. Almost all of the characters are either tough criminals or detectives so this isn’t one of those movies where you cheer someone on. Not by a long shot. In fact, you’ll find most, if not all characters, quite repulsive. Especially when you see what they’re willing to do. However, you won’t be able to deny their authenticity. This is a crime story after all and it’s not pretty.
Just like murder, theft, and racketeering are not pretty in real life. The atmosphere is gritty and unrelenting, not letting you rest even for a moment. When we’re not following Donald on one of his kills, we’re contemplating the severity of the situation. Towards the end, we will get more character development and a couple of answers why Donald is the way he is. But, for the most part, this is a compelling thriller with just the right amount of action. I say just the right amount of action because the movie focuses more on the tension and suspense. And it’s not afraid to scare the shit out of you with twists you don’t see coming.
Probably constrained by the rather small budget, the production opted to focus on the characters and the atmosphere instead of shootouts and chase scenes. Additionally, since this is a period movie, they had that to contend with. The end result is surprisingly compelling. It reminds me of another underrated crime thriller based on actual events, Italian The Ruthless. So, you might want to check it out if you’re looking for similar movies. While we’re on the subject of similar movies, I think that the entire modern French crime thriller subgenre is also a good choice. I’m talking about movies like Close Enemies, Above The Law, AKA, and others.
If you’re not familiar with our site Subversive Rabbit, I would just like to mention that its main purpose is to help you find movies worth watching. Once you’ve found something you like, keep an eye out for the recommended movies below and towards the end of the text. Moving on, Éric Bruneau absolutely chewed up the lead role. He’s got the right looks, mannerisms, and bad-boy charm that helped him nail this controversial individual. On the opposite side, we have Sylvain Marcel as the no-bullshit detective Roger Burns who was just as good. Back in the day, these detectives had to be just as bad-ass as the criminals.
Dusk For A Hitman is loosely based on actual events which means that some of the things you’ll see did not happen. However, that doesn’t take away anything from the movie. Does it really matter how or why he killed someone or exactly how something played out? We’re not looking at a trial but a gangster movie. A highly underrated and almost unknown gem of a gangster movie I recommend you check out as soon as possible. And the ending is something I spent a not insignificant time thinking about.
Director: Raymond St-Jean
Writers: Martin Girard, Raymond St-Jean
Cast: Éric Bruneau, Benoît Gouin, Rose-Marie Perreault, Sylvain Marcel, Simon Landry-Desy, Joakim Robillard
Fun Facts: During the end credits you can see a part of the interview Donald Lavoie gave to Hana Gartner for her The Fifth Estate television show. You can watch the entire footage on here.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10819348/
