‘The Virtuoso’ has ‘jaw-dropping violence,’ says director Stagliano

In his Director’s Statement for upcoming thriller-crime-action movie “The Virtuoso,” Nick Stagliano says that the film is “filled with jaw-dropping violence.”

The statement was released by US-Canadian entertainment company Lionsgate, the film’s distributor, on Monday. The movie is releasing digitally, on demand and in some theaters in the US on April 30, with blu-ray and DVD releasing on May 4.

Stagliano says he wants the film “to be a cinematic hammer to the head and the heart.”

Referring to “The Virtuoso,” he says in the statement Lionsgate had distributed to members of the press, “Filled with jaw-dropping violence, nail-biting suspense and dazzling style…anguished, beautiful and desperately alive.”

The film’s cast includes Anson Mount, Abbie Cornish, Eddie Marsan, Diora Baird, Richard Brake, with David Morse and Anthony Hopkins.

Calling “The Virtuoso” a film noir of the present day, Stagliano says the movie has plenty of intricacy and ambiguity and is “a visceral thrill ride with
something to say.”

“It contains everything I love in a movie,” says Stagliano, whose previous credits as director include “The Florentine” (1999), “Home of Angels” (1994) and “Good Day for It” (2011). “There is cinematic style to burn: bold visuals, muted colors, strong performances, dynamic compositions and Hitchcockian suspense mixed with Peckinpah violence. But it’s also filled with compelling and unconventional characters. A clever and gripping story told
in an unorthodox manner. And a riveting plot filled with moral dilemmas and heartbreaking realities.”

The movie’s story centers on a professional assassin (Mount), who is assigned a new job by his cryptic boss and mentor (Hopkins). The task involves identifying the mysterious mark from among many possible targets, including a sheriff (Morse).

The story takes place in a sleepy country town.

“The Virtuoso” delves into universal themes of redemption, guilt and identity on a deeper level, says Stagliano, adding that the movie evaluates “the fine line between appearance versus reality and fate versus free will… and the horrific covst of them all.”

Stagliano says that this action movie is actually not much of an action movie.

“Yes, there will be action and suspense,” he says. “However, that is merely a very small element in the ultimate arsenal that will create The Virtuoso.

“On deeper thought, this is not an action film at all!”

The director explains, “In fact, what makes the film so thrilling is the subtlety, the precision and the mystery of the plot and how ‘The Virtuoso’ guides us through what we first believe is just another job, in his case – a murder, to ultimately – a mystery thriller with plot twists that will have the audience on the edge of their seats until the stunning surprise climax.”