For Hire

Synopsis: Independent thriller. Chicago cabbie Mitch Lawrence (Lowe) has a failing acting career and a pregnant and unemployed wife. When one of his clients, author Lou Webber (Mantegna), offers him money to eliminate a drug dealer who is stalking him, Mitch refuses. Days later, Mitch is diagnosed with inoperable stomach cancer. He reconsiders Lou’s offer, and for the sake of his wife and baby, eliminates the threat. Later he discovers that he has been set up and plots a revenge which involves a theatrical scheme to expose Webber’s duplicity. As the film opens Mitch is rehearsing a scene from Richard III (`Fool, of thyself speak well’) and lines from the play are spoken throughout the film. For a detailed account of the references see Lanier (op cit).
Language: English
Country: Canada
Medium: Film
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Year of release: 1997
Duration: 96 mins

Director

Jean Pellerin

Producer

Julie Allan; Pieter Kroonenberg

Cinematographer

Barry Gravelle

Screenplay

Karen Erbach; Leah Kerr

Music

Alan Reeves

Production Design

Charles Boulay

Cast

Joe Mantegna	Lou Webber
Rob Lowe	Mitch Lawrence (Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later King Richard)

Reviews: Lanier, Douglas ‘Film Spin-Offs and Citations’ in Burt, Richard (ed). Shakespeares After Shakespeares: an Encyclopedia of the Bard in Mass Media and Popular Culture. 2 vols. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2006. (p. 255-6, entry 1052).

Desio, Giovanni. Film Tutti i Film della Stagione. Vol. 5, no. 39, May/June 1999. pp 52-3. (In Italian).