The Whole Nine Yards
2000 · Directed by Jonathan Lynn
Original language: English
- comedy
- crime
The story
After a mobster agrees to cooperate with an FBI investigation in order to stay out of prison, he's relocated by the authorities to a life of suburban anonymity as part of a witness protection program. It's not long before a couple of his new neighbours figure out his true identity and come knocking to see if he'd be up for one more hit—suburban style.
What it’s like
Bright, flat suburban daylight and broad, bouncy studio comedy: a 2000-era studio look with clean, evenly lit cul-de-sacs, pastel kitchens, sunny driveways and Montreal standing in for Chicago in wide, tidy establishing shots. The camera stays mostly conventional, with plenty of two-shots and reaction close-ups that let the performers play off each other, and the score is light, jaunty and easy to drift past. The vibe is breezy and mischievous, the sort of warm, slightly sardonic caper that suits a lazy weekend afternoon, a comfort rewatch, or something on while folding laundry. Pacing is brisk and talky, with a steady stream of snappy exchanges and escalating mishaps, and the emotional register stays light even as the story turns darker in spots. The central arc follows a fish-out-of-water hitman who slowly and reluctantly reconnects with a messy, unfamiliar kind of normal life. Violence is present but comic and mostly off-screen or cartoonish, with a few brief, sharp gunshots and a handful of bloodless tussles; there is no gore and no sexual content beyond light innuendo. It suits viewers who want a fast, funny crime comedy with bickering leads and a cheerful, low-intensity tone.
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