GROSSE POINTE BLANK
A film review by Michael Redman
Copyright 1997 Michael Redman
*** (out of ****)
Heading to his 10-year high school reunion, Martin Blank (John Cusack) is having something of an early mid-life career crisis. It seems that his chosen profession of hitman-for-hire just isn't as emotionally rewarding as he would like for it to be. He's even seeing therapist Dr. Oatman (Alan Arkin) who's so afraid of him that the sessions are monologues.
At the urging of his office manager Marcella (sister Joan Cusack) and Oatman, Blank decides to attend the reunion and patch things up with his high-school sweetheart that he stood up for the prom just before he disappeared from sight for a decade. Conveniently he also has a hit scheduled nearby.
Once back in town, he discovers that you really can't go home again; especially if they've built a Stop And Rob on the site. He does find his ex though. Suspicious Debi (Minnie Driver) appropriately keeps him at arm's length as she perfects her "Don't! Stop! Don't! Stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!" routine. Odd chemistry that works well on occasion.
To further complicate matters there are several uninvited guests in town. Rival assassin Grocer (Dan Aykroyd) is attempting to start a hitman union and Blank doesn't want to join. Grocer decides to exterminate the scab in the time-honored tradition of the vocation. Another killer is hanging out to eliminate Blank. Two G-Men are trailing our hero waiting for him to strike. It's a crowded little rich suburb.
The film milks the most out of every situation. High school reunions are inherently ripe with comedic possibilities. People who knew each other for a few years as kids and haven't been in touch for years are desperate to impress. As everyone else is bragging about their adult careers, Blank is upfront about his and receives remarkably blase' responses: "Good for you. Growth industry."
The dialog is thickly layered. You have to pay attention to catch everything that is going on as often more than one character is talking at the same time. When that's not happening, the retorts come fast and furious. Much of the subtle humor is easy to miss if you're careless.
Despite the commercials promising a light romantic comedy, there's a very dark tint to the story. At the same time that Cusack's murderer has us rolling in the aisles, he's killing a gunman by stabbing him with a ball point pen. Grocer and Blank shoot at each other with a gun in each hand in a scene (unfortunately, more than one) straight out of a Clint Eastwood western while blasting away others. The extreme violence goes hand in hand with the extreme wit.
Although the humor is of the highest level, the movie doesn't provoke much psychological involvement. Even with her standoffishness, there isn't much guesswork involved in figuring out if Martin and Debi will get together. Will Blank survive? You can probably figure it out. Cusack is a tad too cool for me to care much about him.
But it doesn't matter very much. The comedy is king here and the characters secondary. Check it out. Watch and listen closely and you'll be entertained. And that's what you're going to this film for.
[This appeared in the 4/17/97 "Bloomington Voice", Bloomington, Indiana. Michael Redman can be reached at mredman@bvoice.com ]
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