Grosse Pointe Blank
(1997)
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A nihilistically philosophical hit man (John Cusack) reluctantly accepts an assignment in Detroit, coinciding with his 10-year high school reunion in the ritzy suburb of Grosse Point, Michigan. While in town, he tries to patch things up with the girlfriend (Minnie Driver) he abandoned on prom night, avoid being killed by an over-zealous competitor's henchmen, and survive his surreal homecoming. The film is a bullet-ridden, darkly comedic tale of self-discovery from star-writer-producer Cusack. |
Named in tribute to John Boorman's cult thriller Point Blank, this uneasy black comedy only really picks up speed halfway into the story. A hitman (John Cusack) returns to his home town for a high-school reunion and another assassination, only to find conventional free-marketeers just as ruthless as he is. He also bumps into an old flame (Minnie Driver) who he jilted on prom night ten years before. George Armitage's direction only really goes into overdrive for the final stretch, but the actors, including Dan Aykroyd and Joan Cusack, are really superior.
Halliwell's Film Guide
Slick romantic comedy with added violence; it has a few amusing moments amid the bloodshed.