The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot

A few days before seeing this, I saw The Last Voyage Of The Demeter. One of the chief flaws I found with the movie was the title; it shows all of the movie's hand. There is no suspense to be had in a movie that tells you the ending in the title. It completely handicaps the movie. I bring this up because the title of this movie, The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot, also handicaps it, but not in the same way. Demeter had all the air sucked out of the balloon in the way in. This movie's title does something different; it creates an expectation. You read a title that goofy and wordy and you think it's going to be some Bubba Ho-Tep-style blend of comedy and action, or a cheap made-for-Syfy movie that somehow, beyond all reason, stars Sam Elliott. It sure fooled me, and it does this movie dirty, because that is NOT what this movie is about. It is not funny at all, not even by accident. It is not zany or a splatter-fest or cheap in any way. NOTHING you think of from that title comes to pass here, and it's a damned shame, because I think that name both writes a check this movie has no intention of cashing, while also putting up a wall that would discourage people from exploring it. For this movie is a somber, haunting psychological drama about aging and regret and a life unfulfilled. Sam Elliott is a man who has lived a life with no satisfaction. World War 2 tore him and the love of his life apart, so much so that 40 years later, he still has her picture in his wallet. He takes no pride in having secretly assassinated Hitler because the Nazi mentality and machine lived on past the Fuhrer's death. And since the governments of Germany and the US covered it up, he doesn't even get "I killed Hitler" as a public legacy. And on top of that, he and his brother are and have never been closed, partly because of a sizeable age difference, but also because of the mental scars he brought back from the war. Everywhere he looks, he sees a life lived without reward, and when it ends, a life unmissed. Over the course of the movie (which I do not want to spoil), Elliott's Calvin Barr has to come to terms with his role in the world, his own sense of self-worth, and that others may not see him the same way he does. It sounds like a role Elliott could sleepwalk through because of his laconic demeanor, but that misses the point; Calvin isn't chill. He's withdrawn, morose, and bitter. Elliott is more than up for the task here; he doesn't just do his lonesome stranger routine and make Calvin a hard-shelled man with a soft center. Calvin is broken and barely holding it together. Everything is a regret for him. Elliott gives Calvin a fragility and honesty a lesser actor would miss. It may be one of Elliott's finest roles, believe it or not. The only thing keeping this movie from getting all the stars is a slower-than-necessary first act, but it's worth sticking through. This is a touching, genuine movie that deserves more eyes. I did not get what I expected from this movie, and I'm really glad I didn't. The movie I envisioned would've been fun, but also likely disposable. This was excellent and memorable.