Review of Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) by Aaron G — 31 Mar 2017

This is a fun little film about a hitman who is at that point where he's questioning his life. At the same time he receives an invite for his high school reunion. The idea of that premise is already great, and rife with potential. By casting John Cusack in the lead it also puts a fun spin because he has the experience with romantic high school films, quirky comedies, and some action movies.

I was surprised how much they committed to the romantic comedy stuff in some sections of the film. In fact it was almost like the movie broke down into sections that alternated between genres. It worked OK, but I think there was more comedy in the final act when we really see these worlds collide. That's when I was laughing and cheering and having the most fun.

Minnie Driver might have been the biggest misstep in Grosse Pointe Blank for me. I was so distracted by her attempts to sound American, it was a struggle. Also I have some trouble figuring out what emotion she's trying to convey in certain scenes. I could understand the bigger scenes where she's very angry or happy, but I can't read her quieter moments.

The entire movie mostly doesn't go aggressively for comedy. It's trying for more subtle laughs and to build humor just from the situations. I expected a little more farce and was hoping to laugh out loud more, but that doesn't mean it was a bad movie or that I didn't like it. My favorite moments were the ones between Cusack and his therapist played by Alan Arkin. I'll gladly watch Grosse Pointe Blank again, and I expect I'll probably like it more now that I know the tone.