I Hired a Contract Killer: the man who does what the title of Aki Kaurismäki’s deadpan crime comedy describes is an office worker with an empty existence after he loses his job and will to live. It gets zany after that, but Kaurismäki-zany; in other words, the driest of the dry comedy, not one bit less entertaining because of it. Jean-Pierre Léaud plays the curt and hapless protagonist very close to the chest, as that’s the tone of the film; it is, within that framework, an effective performance; Margi Clarke plays the woman he falls for and Kenneth Colley, the contract killer, both also excellent. The film takes place in a dilapidated, almost ruined London, but the interiors are colourful and lively despite their bareness, a very interesting piece of work by production designer John Ebden. Cinematographer Timo Salminen captures it all with beautiful light. The use of music is exquisite, and the snappy runtime, without any waste, an added pleasure.