DEAD IN A WEEK: OR YOUR MONEY BACK

UK, 2018, 90 minutes, Colour.
Tom Wilkinson, Aneurin Barnard, Christopher Eccleston, Freya Mavor, Marion Bailey, Gethin Anthony, Nigel Lindsay.
Directed by Tom Edmunds.

With a title like this, it is obvious that there will be a sardonic tone to both drama and comedy.

Aneurin Barnard plays a suicidal young man, a disappointed author, prone to failure in his attempts to kill himself. Finding some advertising, he makes contact with a professional hitman and they make a contract. It is something of a Murphy’s Law story, that whatever could go wrong, does go wrong – including an attempt on the young man but the killing of a publisher with whom he is having a drink.

He makes friends with the young woman who works with the publisher, telling her the story, taking refuge in her country house – but the hitman following through.

What makes the film even more sardonic is that Tom Wilkinson plays a hitman, proud of his profession, trying to fulfil his quota, supported by his wife at home who is passionate about quilt-making and local competitions – and who, it is later revealed, is highly supportive of her husband and his work, ready to participate if she has to defend him!

There is also the complication that the hitman works for an agency, a kind of thugs incorporated, presided over by Christopher Eccleston who makes demands on the hitman and then puts a contract out on him.

While there is action, there are certainly a lot of conversation in the film, between the young man and the girl and his pessimism and her support, between the hitman and his wife, between the boss and his associates, building up to a final confrontation, the two men a table with guns under the table aimed at each other.

Needless to say, are sardonically happy ending.

1. The title? The tone? Humour? Black humour? The dialogue? And the criminal activity being presented in the style of ordinary life and work?

2. The London settings, homes, pubs, offices? The countryside? The musical score?

3. William, depressed, the attempts to kill himself, the brochure, contacting Leslie, the meeting, the contract, the parody of everything being businesslike? The choice of death? Wanting to save a child in front of the truck? The decision to shoot? Leslie and the various attempts?

4. William, the story of his parents being crushed by the piano? His writing, sketches, wanting to publish? Yet determined to kill himself?

5. Leslie, his relationship with his wife, her devotion, the sewing competition at her cushion, Leslie at home, meals and conversation, his preoccupation about his work? The later irony that Penny knew all about it, encouraged him, even had a knife?

6. William and the publisher, the meeting, the possibilities, Leslie shooting the publisher? William blaming himself, Leslie discovering that there was a contract on the publisher?

7. William and Ellie, the slits on her wrists, her listening sympathetically, encouraging William with his writing and publishing? The effect of the death of the publisher? The conversations, the explanations, going out together, the changing his mind? Going to the countryside? His falling in love? The decision to cancel the contract – and the irony of Leslie being in the house, the shooting, the chase?

8. Harvey, the organisation of hitmen, summoning Leslie, the offer of the clock, firing him? Leslie upset, one for killing for his quota? Harvey and the ironic conversation about killing is and his business style? Putting a contract on Leslie?

9. Penny, her cushion, going off to the fair, the competition, the ladies, the announcements – and the audience kept in suspense about Penny winning?

10. Ivan, is coming to kill Leslie, getting into the house, Leslie leaving, the ransacking? Penny and her phone call in the middle of Leslie is trying to shoot William?

11. William tracking down Ellie and William, the confrontation with the gun, the phone calls, the arguments, Leslie attacked by Ivan, Ivan threatening to shoot William, the two guns, Ellie urging the change of guns to make the suicide and the shooting plausible? Ivan about to shoot, Leslie recovering, bashing Ivan?

12. Leslie still intent to shoot William, the idea of a second contract, retrospective?

13. Leslie at home, Harvey’s visit, the conversation, Penny being hospitable, liking the clock? Leslie and Harvey with the guns under the table, the argument, Penny saying that they were going to take a trip around the world? Harvey reluctant and going? In the fact that Penny had a knife at the ready to use?

14. William and Ellie, his writing a new book about assassins?

15. A happy ending after all the ironies?