Many cities have their mafia history, Chicago with Al Capone, New York with John Gotti, but Montreal also had their history and an infamous hitman to go along with it. Donald Lavoie is that infamous Montreal hitman from the late 1970’s and his story was adapted for the screen by French-Canadian filmmaker and Montreal local, Raymond St-Jean in the film Dusk for a Hitman.
I spoke to Raymond St-Jean about Dusk for a Hitman, the life and whereabouts of Donald Lavoie, plus the man who played him in the film, Eric Bruneau. Find out what was real and what was exaggerated from the director himself.
REAL TALK:
I enjoyed my conversation with Raymond. He had good energy and shared some interesting info about the film and the real Donald Lavoie. I was surprised to hear that the laundry chute escape was real! That I thought for sure would have been a scene made to pump up the tension in the film. Also, the sacrifice of a family member was apparently real also, although the film did alter that as to who the family member is. Interesting stuff.
I thought the lead actor Eric Bruneau did a fantastic job as Lavoie. He has great screen presence and intensity to him. Plus, his little mannerisms added layers to the character. So, I was also surprised to hear that allegedly Lavoie lived until recently and potentially had a normal life in obscurity. This guy lived a wild life.
I thought Dusk for a Hitman was a really solid and intriguing movie. Good acting, especially from Bruneau. Impressive directing from Raymond St-Jean. A story I wasn’t familiar with prior to watching the film. If you’re into crime thrillers, this is an easy recommendation.