Review of He Was a Quiet Man (2007) by Melvin W — 29 Jan 2014

****SPOILER WARNINGS****.

This film ducked right under the radar the year it was released and I have to be honest, had I not seen the trailer and found it intriguing, I'd have completely let it pass me by and I'd have missed out on a real gem.

Clearly influenced by Brett Easton Ellis' controversial novel American Psycho, this is far better than that adaptation, following a similar path and plot whilst maintaining a current of hilarious black comedy throughout.

Christian Slater (bald and moustached beyond recognition) plays lonely office worker Bob Maconel, who spends his days doing mundane clerical duties and fantasising about murdering his co-workers.

On the day he reaches breaking point and finally does load up his revolver, a colleague beats him to it and Bob ends up shooting them.

Hailed as a hero, promoted and everyone's sudden best friend leaves Bob in a dilemma and he forms a relationship with Vanessa, a victim of the shooting left paralysed from her wounds, who wants Bob to euthanise her.

The humour isn't all apparent and works more as a satire on commerce and business but some of the lines of dialogue are golden ('You don't need that briefcase now Bob, you're an executive') and the performances are absolutely fantastic. This is easily Christian Slater's best performance of his career, just when I was about to file him amongst the 'where are they now' pile, but the real revelation is Elisha Cuthbert as Vanessa. I remember seeing her in some tacky horror film and thought she was an atrocious actress, but she really does herself proud in this.

It's a shame this movie hasn't gathered a cult following or any degree of real recognition, it certainly deserves it.