A hit man named Schneider reluctantly takes on the task of killing a writer, only to find the job a lot more difficult than he expected as the writer is also a pro-hitman who is also assigned to kill Schneider.
Schneider vs. Bax is one of those violent, twisty comedies whose slick telling (smooth pans, subtle tracks, surgical cuts) offsets the nonsensical premise.
Once again, Warmerdam succeeds in creating a perfect, absurd mix of very realistic action and very unrealistic sequences of cause-and-effect, the accumulation of which fuels the plot.
The film is too busy getting tangled in its plot to throw any proper emotional punches or hit home with themes of bad parenting and dangers beyond closed doors. But it's not lacking in entertainment, that's for sure.
Alex van Warmerdam knows how to play with your expectations with lots of acid humor and a tone that takes you by surprise, making good use of the cliches in the genre. [Full review in Spanish]
