A Simple Plan
Rating (out of five): *****
Starring Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Brent Briscoe, Bridget Fonda, Jack Walsh, Chelcie Ross, Becky Ann Baker and Gary Cole Directed by Sam Raimi Rated R for profanity, violence and brief nudity Theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 Released in 1998 Running 123 minutes
A Simple Plan is a different kind of thriller. While the common dime-a-dozen suspense film pits the hero against an outside force, all of the enemies dealt with in this film come from the inside, making the events that unfold all the more disturbing. Most movies of it's kind deliver cheap thrills, but this one poses some very frank and tough questions about paranoia, trust and man's natural capability of evil. After years and years of formula rehash, A Simple Plan is a very welcome breathe of fresh air.
Based on Scott Smith's best seller about the deceit and ultimate tragedy that follows the discovery of millions of dollars by three ill-fated men, this is as eerie and effective as any thriller I've ever seen. Instead of rushing the story ahead with unnecessary twists and turns, causing the plot to be chalk-full of gaps and holes, director Sam Raimi lets the suspense build slowly, giving us one piece of the puzzle at a time. Even if the film as a whole had been disappointing, this would still be a prime example of the art of direction.
But that's not to say that this isn't just as fine an achievement in other areas. If the screenplay doesn't grab you right off, you'd better check yourself for a pulse; Bill Paxton plays Hank Mitchell, a content middle class feed store manager who, along with his brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton, who could be looking at his second Oscar) and Jacob's friend Lou (Brent Briscoe), finds roughly four and a half million dollars tucked away in an abandoned crashed plane. Deducing that it's most likely drug money, the trio decide to keep the loot for themselves. After all, if someone comes looking for it, they can always just burn the cash, erasing any evidence that connected them to the downed aircraft. Figuring this to be a fool-proof and simple plan, they agree to wait until the plane is uncovered by the authorities before they split up the money and hit town; all they have to do is wait. But before they know it, their allegedly "simple" plan has spiraled into a web of trickery and deceit that will eventually claim more than one life.
The acting is also top of the line. As the conspiring brothers, Paxton and Thornton turn in the performances of both their careers, the former riveting you with his increasing lust for the money, and Thornton tugging at your heart strings as the put-upon and neglected Jacob. Both are fine pieces of work and should not be looked over in favor of showier parts when Oscar time rolls around.
However, as accomplished as everything is (including technical aspects like music and film editing), A Simple Plan belongs to Raimi all the way. Famous for his rock'em and shock'em gore flicks in the Evil Dead trilogy, he finally finds his footing to reveal himself as a major talent. I'm just as big a fan of The Evil Dead as the next guy (perhaps even more so), but this is the really strong evidence that Raimi is a true master of his profession.
Copyright 1999 Jason Wallis
*Homepage at http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/7475
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