21. Two Down; movie review

TWO DOWN
Cert TBA
92 mins
BBFC advice: TBA

One of everyfilm's rarely stated aims is to support independent movie makers.
That is not to say I will ever say bad is good but I will try to review more of the sector's pictures than most and I will try to offer what I believe is constructive criticism when appropriate.
In the case of Matthew Butler Hart's Two Down, I offer nothing but praise.
This is a well-drawn, amusing and original comedy drama which proves Hart, and co-writer wife Tori, deserve to be finding a much wider audience.
I am far from their only fan - Two Down's executive producers are Stephen Fry and Derek Jacobi. They clearly know talent when they see it.
Two Down stars Alex Hassall as John Thomas (the gags get better), a hitman who is seeking shelter after having been shot.
He imposes himself, after a bit of martial arts-style fisticuffs, on a young woman (Tori Butler Hart) and gradually befriends her.
Added to the mix are a naive Chinese food delivery boy (Graham Butler) who has eyes for his customer.
There is a stage play feel to Two Down because it is largely set in the young woman's flat where the assassin's back story and his current predicament seep out.
The skill of Two Down is in its dialogue - it is smart, witty and prompts the audience to empathise with the characters. Those with much larger budgets fail in this direction (trust me, I have just watched The Commuter).
I particularly liked the quirkiness of Hassall's character because he is moulded as part-ruthless killer, part-English gentleman.
And despite, its low budget, I also admired the ambition of Two Down's production. The Harts have made every penny count.
In all honesty, I smirked rather than laughed and found the humour amusing rather than hilarious which is why I haven't given Two Down a higher mark.
But, as said, it has given me a thirst for more of the work of the husband and wife team.

Reasons to watch: offbeat low-budget comedy
Reasons to avoid: the gags are a bit hit and miss

Laughs: a couple of chuckles
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 7/10

Star tweet: Matthew Butler-Hart "We wanted to keep the budget as small as we could so we could keep as much control over the production as possible. So we started with the idea of just three actors in one location, with an injured hit man breaking into a young couple’s house. The idea evolved from there and having an eccentric, wounded hitman staying in your flat gave us nice, high stakes to play with."

The big question: Are there really professional hitmen in London?

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