Watching “The Killer” with My Terminally Ill Mother

With her cancer spreading and her kidneys failing, my Mother doesn’t have much time left. Due to her declining health, she is ensconced in her bedroom, and her world is limited to the second floor of the house with a full bath and a spare bedroom that functions as a kitchenette. She remains, for the most part, in bed, unable to exert herself too much without getting winded. As such, the television is her window to the world; her outlet; her escape.

She has three “entertainment events” which bring her some joy. The First is The News, for about 30 minutes or until she starts yelling at the TV; Second is anything Agatha Christie and charmingly clever, but slow-moving British police procedurals, the best of which feature two detectives who secretly long for each other but never act upon it because they’re English (and, going by these programmes, no one in the history of England has ever fallen in love with a coworker and done anything about it); and Third, and perhaps most surprisingly: Action Movies featuring an Army of One, armed to the teeth and seeking justice by exacting bloodthirsty “righteous vengeance,” sometimes using martial arts. Oh, she loves this stuff.

My Mom, my Mah… my well-educated, sainted Mother absolutely loves these kinds of movies. In the 80s, it was Schwarzenegger and Stallone, Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude van Damme (she loves The Expendables) – Steven Seagal, not so much. These days it’s John Wick and Bob Odenkirk’s Nobody. I showed her that trailer when it came out and her eyes widened like she was looking at an ice cream sundae. When I was given the DVD for Christmas, I played it for her and she loved it so much, she immediately wanted to see it again. Since then, it has landed on HBO and Mah watches it over and over. I’ve stopped in to check on her, hearing the barrage of gunfire blaring down the hall, and there she is, cheering on Bob Odenkirk.* At last count, Mom estimated that she’s seen it “forty or fifty times.”

If you ask her why she’s so fond of these kinds of movies, she’ll dismiss it and very blithely suggest it’s harmless escapism, but I’m not so sure: I think she sees herself in those heroes. She was a divorced, single mother in the early 70s, with no child support or alimony, who headed back to school while working three jobs to raise a maniac. She only ever wanted to be Doris Day and somehow ended up being Gena Rowlands in Gloria. Makes sense to me.

One day, just off-hand, I asked her if she’d ever seen The Killer, the John Woo masterpiece starring Chow Yun-Fat. She couldn’t remember. I showed her the trailer on YouTube and she was intrigued. So I ordered a DVD copy of the film and waited and waited for it to show up. It finally arrived after Christmas, in January and we talked about watching it. But around that time, her health started failing.

And so it came to pass, on Monday, February 13, that she felt up to watching it and I ordered Chinese (of course). I think she was really excited for it and I was, too. As sick as she is, my Mother is still my Mother. What follows is a faithful transcription of highlights of the viewing, as she cannot refrain from talking throughout a movie.

(Spoiler Alert: if you haven’t seen The Killer, shame on you.)

Opening scene, the Church. The contract.

Mom: What’s he doing?

Me: He’s checking the guns, Mom.

Mom: What’s he checking them for?

Me: Because he’s The Killer. He has to make sure the guns work.

Mom: Why wouldn’t they work? They’re not going to give him guns that don’t work. That wouldn’t make sense.

Me: MOM! Can we just watch the movie?

The nightclub, walk-through.
 
Mom: Why is he walking so slowly?

Me: Mom, that’s the director setting the tone. Whatever.

Mom: This song is annoying.

Me: It’s – Mom, they’re in Hong Kong. That’s the music they play in lounges. I think it’s called “Cantopop” but I can’t be certain. What difference does it make?


The nightclub, shoot-out.

Mom: This eggroll is good, but I think I like the other place better.

Me: MOM!!!

Mom: Oh, did you see that? He flipped the gun off the card table!

Me: MOM!!!

(one minute later)

Mom: Is she dead?

Me: No.

Mom: Well, at least she’s not singing anymore.

Me: MOM!!


Undercover scene.

Mom: Now who’s this guy?

Me: He’s an undercover cop.

Mom: Why is he dressed like that?

Me: I don’t know, it was Hong Kong in the eighties.

Mom: Chow Yun-Fat is so much more handsome. Did you see Crouching Tiger… what was it?

Me: Uggh. Hidden Dragon. Yes.

Mom: He also did that movie with Jodie Foster. But I’ll never stop loving Yul Brenner. He was my era.

Me: MOM!!


Jennie’s apartment. The Killer and the Detective try to keep their standoff from Jennie.

Mom: This is just silly.

Me: It’s stylish! John Woo was very influenced by ballet for his choreography. I think. Pretty sure I read that somewhere.


The Church shootout.

Mom: Oh, he lead them all right to the church.

Me: Well, it’s the final act.

Mom: They’re never going to get out. I can’t watch.

Me: You have to! This is one of the greatest shootouts in cinematic history!

Mom: It’s not Butch and Sundance. Can I try a chicken wing? I think I might be able to get it down if it’s not too spicy.

Me: Of course – just watch the movie!

Mom: Oh, this is too spicy. (coughs) I can’t eat this.

Me: No worries – uggggh — just watch the movie!

Mom: He’s shot!

Me: Down but not out, Mom – watch the movie!

Mom: Oh, he’s going to kill her!

(minutes later)

Mom: That is so sad.

Me: I know. But it had to be. He was a killer. But what did you think?

Mom: I don’t know. I liked some of it. I missed a lot of the subtitles. I should probably watch it again tomorrow night and then I can make a decision.

Me: (smiling) Okay, sure. I also have Hard Boiled, we can watch that, too.

Mom: What’s Hard Boiled?

Me: Ooh… it’s so good. Chow Yun-Fat is awesome – he plays a detective who doesn’t mess around. And he just kills every bad guy.

Mom: Maybe we can watch that, too. He’s so handsome.

Me: Okay, jeez. Take it easy.

Mom: I like when he kills the bad guys.

Me: I know you do.

*If I showed her Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Mr. Show or even The Larry Sanders Show where Mr. Odenkirk played the loathsome Hollywood agent, Stevie Grant, I doubt she’d have any interest. Honestly.