on . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁shot ▁in ▁Hamilton ▁and ▁Pick ering , ▁Ontario , ▁Canada . ▁ ▁Plot ▁Mel vin ▁Sm iley ▁has ▁a ▁good ▁life ▁thanks ▁to ▁his ▁tal ents ▁as ▁a ▁contract - k iller , ▁but ▁has ▁a ▁very ▁working ▁class ▁ment ality ▁going ▁about ▁his ▁life , ▁in ▁combination ▁with ▁his ▁constant ▁strugg les ▁to ▁maintain ▁two ▁rom antic ▁relationships . ▁One ▁is ▁with ▁the ▁demand ing ▁and ▁de mean ing ▁Ch ant el , ▁who ▁does ▁not ▁accept ▁his ▁work , ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁with ▁Pam , ▁who ▁knows ▁nothing ▁of ▁his ▁job . ▁Mel vin ▁is ▁somewhat ▁of ▁a ▁push over , ▁trying ▁to ▁appe ase ▁all ▁of ▁Ch ant el ' s ▁dem ands , ▁even ▁her ▁most ▁expensive ▁wishes , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁rolling ▁over ▁whenever ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁co - work ers ▁takes ▁credit ▁for ▁his ▁achiev ements . ▁Perhaps ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁his ▁hel pl ess ness ▁in ▁as ser ting ▁himself , ▁throughout ▁the ▁early ▁scenes , ▁Mel vin ▁is ▁often ▁seen ▁drink ing ▁Ma al ox ▁to ▁rel ieve ▁a ▁developing ▁stress - indu ced ▁ul cer . ▁ ▁Fe eling ▁under pa id ▁for ▁their ▁work ▁for ▁mob ▁b oss ▁Paris , ▁the ▁assass in ▁team ▁of ▁Sm iley , ▁C is co , ▁Cr unch , ▁V ince ▁and ▁G ump ▁take ▁an ▁independent ▁job , ▁kid n apping ▁Ke iko ▁N ishi , ▁the ▁te en age ▁daughter ▁of ▁local ▁electron ics ▁magn ate ▁J iro