I'm Richard Linklater, director and co-writer of 'Hit Man'. So in this scene, Glen Powell, who plays Gary Johnson, the undercover hitman, is under threat from Jasper, played by Austin Amelio, the New Orleans police officer he works undercover with, who is totally onto him. Gary has been dating Madison, whose husband turned up dead. We know Gary didn't do it and the public knows she did it. But the police don't know. But Jasper sure has a hunch about what happened, and he created this trap scene where Gary comes in and records his conversation, and hopes to trap him there. “Excellent. Remember, audio only. I have to get a good recording.” “I understand.” So, if it was a chess game, it's check. It's not checkmate, but you better make a good move. So enter his phone kind of a script that he's going to have to, off the cuff, get on Madison and just sneak out because it's just audio. They have to say all the right words while he's directing her” – time. I'm getting hot over the death of her husband. “They’re thinking one of us did it.” “Well, it wasn't me.” “Look, I know you did. Is [MUTED]: obviously, and I don't blame you.” “I didn't kill him. Wait wait wait. Who accuses me of this? This is a bull.[MUTED]:, and you, of all people, should know that I was incapable of doing this.” “Okay, so who did it? What the hell happened? It is a difficult task for anyone to stand, think so quickly and act otherwise. And it's pretty much the highlight of the movie in the intensity of what's at stake for them, what could happen to their relationship. And it's also kind of a makeup scene. They broke the scene right before, when he found out that she actually killed the guy. And she could have run away. But this is also… on the romantic side of the movie, it's kind of a made-up declaration of commitment to each other. “…protect me, pull a gun out of nowhere and stick it in Ray's face.” “Find out more about the type of weapon.” “Ray gets scared. He's leaving. I escaped. And that was the last time I saw him.” “So who is this guy, the one who pulled out the gun? What's her name?” “I don't know.” Although Glen and I worked on the script together, when Adria Arjona came on as Madison, that really took it to another level. This movie doesn't work without her. And she was just our creative partner. , and this scene is a very good example of that. The three of us worked a lot on it together. And just sitting around a table, asking questions and refining it, then rehearsing it on location, and finally performing it “I'm a. adult woman. I'm single. And it wasn't random. He was a [MUTED]: good dancer.” “Well, I'm happy for you, because your mystery man is a suspect. I heard they're looking for him.” It was just a joy. We had a good time. But it's, you know, an intense scene, and It was pretty intense. Something pretty intense to shoot too. “—I did. So you know what? If they find it, let me know.” “You know, that first time we met at Please You, your motive didn't seem financial.” scene becomes a kind of performance within a performance within a performance, more or less. And for it to work, he has to direct the scene and she's acting in it. realize what he was doing, he had to accept it. So they're both playing their part, but it certainly makes it a multi-layered task and it's fun to see your hero, the guy you're invested in, find. the way out of a really difficult and difficult situation that I don't think any of us would be quick enough to find our way out of. But somehow, he does it with her. And, you know, the couple also gets back together at the same time. So, to me, it's a crazy comedy scene with a lot, a lot… I mean, if you don't make it, you'll go to jail, you know? So, in the legal sense, the stakes could not be higher. But it's kind of a culmination of their own relationship to date. “Hey, I'm on your side. That's why I'm here. I'm trying to help you get your way, not because I'm a great guy or anything, but as soon as you take the pressure off, it's taken off me too. “We can get out of this mess together.” “There are no togethers.” “I can put all this on someone else. But before you do that, you have to tell me the truth so I can do it right.” “Did you know? I've finished now. I'm done.” The physicality of the scene is funny because actors usually never are: their movements and body expressions usually match what you're saying. In this, it's very different. They have to say everything right, but in reality, Like a game of charades, they tell each other what they're doing and communicate on a physical, non-verbal level, while their verbal rhetoric has to be more or less perfect. It's a dance and it's fun to watch them figure it out as they go. “Excellent.” “You know, if you see me in public, don't say hi. I just have to keep this clean.” [DOOR SLAMS]
