Best Laid Plans
Starring Josh Brolin, Alessandro Nivola and Reese Witherspoon Directed By Mike Barker Running Time: 1 hour 33 minutes
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Best Laid Plans is well made, well acted, well directed and a fun ride. The film opens by introducing us to two friends, Bryce (Brolin) and Nick (Nivola) talking in a cafe. The sexy Lissa (Witherspoon) walks in, and the action cuts away from the cafe to Nick's answering an phone call from a panic stricken Bryce asking Nick to come to his house straight away. When Nick arrives, we found out that Lissa had accused Bryce of raping her, and Bryce, in a state of confusion, has tied her up downstairs. Suddenly, the film cuts away again, and we see how this situation came to arise. Obviously, not everything is what as it seems.
Full of little twists and turns, Best Laid Plans is a film that can only be watched once, but is good fun. The script is well written, and most of the turns you won't see coming. Although the plot is nothing new, the bulk of the movie about a failed heist, it's done well enough to provide a lot of entertainment value. There's also some intense scenes of tension, and the film is paced well enough to make sure the audience is left waiting for the next twist, and not falling asleep. This thriller gets off to a get start: most of it is thrilling and engaging.
The largely unknown cast are also very good. Brolin is excellent as the panicky, nieve Bryce, and while most actors would completely overdo the role he's playing, Bryce makes his panic seem believable, not laughable. Witherspoon, after an great turn in Pleasantville, is charming here, although her role isn't beefy enough to produce an excellent performance. She's watchable, however, and looks great as usual. This is an actress to look out for. Nivola, as the cool Nick, underplays the role to great effect, and is very watchable. His calm, cool collectiveness is great on-screen, and he carries the whole movie. He is certainly the star of the show, in a role that seems to be tailored made for him.
British director Mike Barker handles the film well, producing a stylish effort. The lighting is moody, and the action is well done. There are some great moments of direction where the audience is thrown off centre, and he uses the camera well to heighten the moments of tension, such as the camera swirling round a room or the characters. Unfortunately, style seems to be slightly more important than story, and occasionally the story does suffer due to the director working more on the look of the film. Therefore, although the story is fun, it is also somewhat slight and shallow, and won't be remembered for a long time after the film is over.
But, overall, Best Laid Plans is a pleasant surprise. I walked into the movie 'blind', i.e not knowing what to expect, and I came out pleased. It is an well made piece of filmmaking, and tells it's simple story in an entertaining way. There's twists to keep the brain happy, visuals to keep the eye happy, and some good dialogue to keep the ears happy. With a talented young cast giving it their all, a great soundtrack, and good production design, Best Laid Plans is the biggest surprise of the year so far. If you're looking for a purely enjoyable little thriller, albeit with a somewhat underdeveloped script, Best Laid Plans, although no classic, is recommended.
RATING=***1/2 OUT OF *****
A David Wilcock Review ©1999
DAVID WILCOCK david.wilcock@btinternet.com Visit the Wilcock Movie Page! http://www.wilcock54.freeserve.co.uk
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