At an event as huge as the Toronto International Film Festival, it’s inevitable that there’s a few great movies, some good ones, lots of mediocre fare, and stuff you just plain forgot you even saw. And then there’s “The Assignment” aka “(Re)Assignment,” a movie that’s so awful, it’s seared into my brain. Don’t mistake that being so bad it’s good. Nope, “The Assignment” is just plain bad, but the premise makes for a curious hook nonetheless.
The new movie from Walter Hill (“The Warriors“) follows Frank Kitchen (Michelle Rodriguez), a hitman for the mob who’s double-crossed and goes under gender reassignment surgery against his will. When he wakes up a woman, she sets out to find revenge against those who changed her identity. Played with a grim seriousness, there’s no sense of self-awareness of how ludicrous the movie is, and there’s a good reason this trailer doesn’t show you any scenes of in Rodriguez’s character’s pre-op state — it’s hilariously unconvincing (here’s my full review). Meanwhile, it’s a shame to see Sigourney Weaver waste her talents with this movie.
Saban Films will release “The Assignment” this year, but seriously, save your time. [Quiet Earth]