A SIMPLE PLAN
[Film stats: Earned $16.3M domestically. Got 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and 81% on Flixster.]
Hello, all!
I’m a fan of director Sam Raimi, and the odds are pretty good that you are, too, even if you don’t know it. Having started out with the cult classic THE EVIL DEAD, one might have expected him to be pigeonholed a la George Romero. Luckily, he’s expanded his palate quite a bit, going on to develop a fairly eclectic resume with films like FOR LOVE OF THE GAME and THE QUICK AND THE DEAD [both worth a watch, incidentally], and I’m looking forward to see what he conjures with the upcoming DOCTOR STRANGE sequel.
Despite his record of churning out comic book superhero fare, his most accomplished film is one that has almost none of his characteristic bombast. It barely even feels like a Sam Raimi film, seeming more like a Hitchcock film. A SIMPLE PLAN is a great movie that you probably overlooked.
Per the IMDB, the plot is as follows: “Three blue-collar acquaintances come across millions of dollars in lost cash and make a plan to keep their find from the authorities, but it isn't long before complications and mistrust weave their way into the plan.”
From the very first frames of the film, the score [by Danny Elfman, and also far less bombastic than you’d expect from him given his other scores] sets the tone as a brooding, tense film. This isn’t the goofy, deadpan noir that the Coen Brothers used to such effect in FARGO, but rather a serious thriller in which Raimi really does a good job of slowly ratcheting up feelings of dread and also tension. Moreover, he gets everything out of his cast, with Billy Bob Thornton easily delivering the standout performance.
If what I’ve written thus far is enough to whet your appetite to watch the film, then feel free to take a look at the trailer that I’ve embedded below:
It’s a shame that the actors playing two of the three “blue-collar acquaintances” in this film are no longer with us. Both Bill Paxton and Brent Briscoe were solid character actors, and while Thornton’s performance steals the show, both Paxton and Briscoe give him a run for his money. Given his limited screen time, I’d honestly have to give the edge to Briscoe.
While it isn’t SOPHIE’S CHOICE, this is one of those films that almost forces the viewer to wrestle with at least tacit ethical questions. Here, it’s pretty simple [no pun intended]: “What would you do if you found millions?” Add to that the complications posed when FBI Agent Baxter [played by Gary Cole] shows up, and it gives the film and the ethical questions posed even more gravitas.
Enjoy!
P.S. For those of you who give this one a shot and enjoy it, you may also want to check out THE ICE STORM and SABOTEUR [not SABOTAGE, though that one is good (the Hitchcock film, not the one with Schwarzenegger)].
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - BARTON FINK; Day 2 - CENTURION; Day 3 - THE BABADOOK; Day 4 - RISEN; Day 5 - CHOPPER; Day 6 - ZERO EFFECT; Day 7 - IN BRUGES; Day 8 - HOUSE OF GAMES; Day 9 - DREDD; Day 10 - THE MISSION; Day 11 - WARRIOR; Day 12 - ANNIHILATION; Day 13 - THE FISHER KING; Day 14 - GOOD KILL; Day 15 - THE HITCHER; Day 16 - SHORT CUTS; Day 17 - THE SALTON SEA]
[Film stats: Earned $16.3M domestically. Got 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and 81% on Flixster.]
Hello, all!
I’m a fan of director Sam Raimi, and the odds are pretty good that you are, too, even if you don’t know it. Having started out with the cult classic THE EVIL DEAD, one might have expected him to be pigeonholed a la George Romero. Luckily, he’s expanded his palate quite a bit, going on to develop a fairly eclectic resume with films like FOR LOVE OF THE GAME and THE QUICK AND THE DEAD [both worth a watch, incidentally], and I’m looking forward to see what he conjures with the upcoming DOCTOR STRANGE sequel.
Despite his record of churning out comic book superhero fare, his most accomplished film is one that has almost none of his characteristic bombast. It barely even feels like a Sam Raimi film, seeming more like a Hitchcock film. A SIMPLE PLAN is a great movie that you probably overlooked.
Per the IMDB, the plot is as follows: “Three blue-collar acquaintances come across millions of dollars in lost cash and make a plan to keep their find from the authorities, but it isn't long before complications and mistrust weave their way into the plan.”
From the very first frames of the film, the score [by Danny Elfman, and also far less bombastic than you’d expect from him given his other scores] sets the tone as a brooding, tense film. This isn’t the goofy, deadpan noir that the Coen Brothers used to such effect in FARGO, but rather a serious thriller in which Raimi really does a good job of slowly ratcheting up feelings of dread and also tension. Moreover, he gets everything out of his cast, with Billy Bob Thornton easily delivering the standout performance.
If what I’ve written thus far is enough to whet your appetite to watch the film, then feel free to take a look at the trailer that I’ve embedded below:
It’s a shame that the actors playing two of the three “blue-collar acquaintances” in this film are no longer with us. Both Bill Paxton and Brent Briscoe were solid character actors, and while Thornton’s performance steals the show, both Paxton and Briscoe give him a run for his money. Given his limited screen time, I’d honestly have to give the edge to Briscoe.
While it isn’t SOPHIE’S CHOICE, this is one of those films that almost forces the viewer to wrestle with at least tacit ethical questions. Here, it’s pretty simple [no pun intended]: “What would you do if you found millions?” Add to that the complications posed when FBI Agent Baxter [played by Gary Cole] shows up, and it gives the film and the ethical questions posed even more gravitas.
Enjoy!
P.S. For those of you who give this one a shot and enjoy it, you may also want to check out THE ICE STORM and SABOTEUR [not SABOTAGE, though that one is good (the Hitchcock film, not the one with Schwarzenegger)].
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - BARTON FINK; Day 2 - CENTURION; Day 3 - THE BABADOOK; Day 4 - RISEN; Day 5 - CHOPPER; Day 6 - ZERO EFFECT; Day 7 - IN BRUGES; Day 8 - HOUSE OF GAMES; Day 9 - DREDD; Day 10 - THE MISSION; Day 11 - WARRIOR; Day 12 - ANNIHILATION; Day 13 - THE FISHER KING; Day 14 - GOOD KILL; Day 15 - THE HITCHER; Day 16 - SHORT CUTS; Day 17 - THE SALTON SEA]
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