|
|
LowComDom Performances Presents
|
|
|
LowComDom Performances Presents
|
Film Review - Grosse Pointe Blank
John Cusack has long been one of my favorite actors. Although his range is rarely stretched, he has a quality in which the audience is led to believe that he believes what is happening on the screen is the truth.
In Grosse Pointe Blank this quality comes through. Cusack plays Martin Q. Blank, a hired killer, who takes a job in his hometown of Grosse Pointe, Mich. By a strange coincidence, his 10-year high school reunion will be happening at the same time. Blank is torn over going, but something is pulling him home.
Upon returning, he finds his old house has been torn down and a convenience store erected in its place. Strangely, this upsets Blank, who up until this moment has been emotionally distant.
And Then There is the Love Interest...
Wonderfully played by Minnie Driver, Debi Newberry is the girl Blank left in a prom dress but never saw that evening (or since), and is no pushover. She's a DJ at the local radio station. When Blank walks back into her life, she proceeds to embarrass him on the air. Driver gives her character real worth by not falling into his arms at the drop of a hat. In fact, the time it takes for these two to fall in love is most of the film.
Joan Cusack is a delight playing Blank's executive assistant, Marcella. She books the killings and keeps him up-to-date on work. Marcella is both emotionally concerned about Blank and afraid of him at the same time.
Dan Aykroyd is Grocer, Blank's rival who is trying to unionize the hit men. He's a certifiable looney and provides both plot tension and comedic relief.
Grosse Pointe Blank is a fine black comedy worth seeing more than once. The dialogue is genuine, the comedy funny, and the pace of editing very tight.
Film Facts
Directed by George Armitage
Released in 1997
MPAA Rating: R
Reviewed by Mongo
