The nature of identity — essential questions of “Who am I?” and “Why am I the way I am?” — is the heady stuff of philosophy seminars and late-night self-realizations. In Richard Linklater’s new film, “Hit Man,” it is also the basis for a breezy comedy-romance crime story. From his breakthrough “Slacker” to the more recent “Everybody Wants Some!!” Linklater has long had a knack for making films that seem to be inconsequential, lazy even, but that reveal themselves to have a sneaky depth, curiosity and insight into what it is to be alive.
As he has gotten older, Linklater’s unassuming confidence as a filmmaker has become even sharper. Which is how something like “Hit Man,” which seems at first glance like a goof, also can consider some of the deepest mysteries of the human condition. But even that is perhaps getting a little ahead of ourselves.
The film is, first and foremost, a showcase for the powerful charisma, screen presence and chemistry of its two stars, Glen Powell and Adria Arjona. Powell co-wrote the screenplay with Linklater, based on a Texas Monthly article by Skip Hollandsworth, whose work also provided the basis for Linklater’s “Bernie.” Here Powell and Linklater use the real story of one Gary Johnson as a playful jumping-off point in a tale that starts out as someone needing a second job.
In this particular telling, Johnson (Powell) teaches psychology and philosophy at a small college in New Orleans, supplementing his quiet, .
