Rating: 
Summary: Me Minus this Movie = A good Time
Review: "Hey! Let's film three minutes of someone washing a truck, then cut to the masterful acting talents of Dwight Yoakam and Sheryl Crowe!"A haiku. I love you, then I Hit you really hard, Janeane. Minus Man. You hurt.
Rating: 
Summary: The Banality of Evil....
Review: ...some serial killers are as charming as the boy next door, in fact, maybe that's the reason why Vann did away with the football star. He was getting rid of the competition so he could charm his way to another murder. Things to notice about the film: *the opening scene shows Vann washing the truck--to hide evidence of his last kill? * did you get a chance to see who discovered the dog unearthing the kids' body on the beach? * what was that scene about "this ain't alcohol, this is syrup" about? Wasn't the landlord seen taking a sip from a tainted bottle?" *did he or didn't Vann get the landlord's wife--played by Reuhl? if so, how come he changed his M.O.? *what's was up with his supervisor drumming on that desk and why didn't dude just go home after work? *did you really, really see Vann slip any of the poisoned pixie dust in that guy in the diner's cup?
*wouldn't you take Vann in for general all purpose weirdness if you were the two detectives in the car who asked Vann in for questions? *all of a sudden, Vann plays the piano and the ol' guy gets up and sings some ol' college fight tune or Irish gyspy tune or something--go figger. Yeah, you probably won't get a lot of great earthshaking insight from this one, but this is one for repeated viewings...which will allow me to come to this conclusion--was he or was he not a serial killer? Only his hairdresser may know for sure. Also see the moovy "American Psycho"...
Rating: 
Summary: IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING GOOD...
Review: ...this is a disappointing movie. I found myself truly mesmerized by the first half of the movie, trying to figure out what Owen Wilson's character was motivated by; who were these two detectives (Dennis Haysbert, Dwight Yoakum) and why were they haunting him? What really was going on with the landlord's missing daughter? Why did Brian Cox off Mercedes Ruehl? What was the glib ending supposed to mean? Owen Wilson and Janeane Garafolo do fine jobs in their roles; Brian Cox as always is astounding. But why was Vann doing this? The movie answers no questions and ultimately that's why I find it hard to recommend it, in spite of its good points.
Rating:
Summary: IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING GOOD...
Review: ...this is a disappointing movie. I found myself truly mesmerized by the first half of the movie, trying to figure out what Owen Wilson's character was motivated by; who were these two detectives (Dennis Haysbert, Dwight Yoakum) and why were they haunting him? What really was going on with the landlord's missing daughter? Why did Brian Cox off Mercedes Ruehl? What was the glib ending supposed to mean? Owen Wilson and Janeane Garafolo do fine jobs in their roles; Brian Cox as always is astounding. But why was Vann doing this? The movie answers no questions and ultimately that's why I find it hard to recommend it, in spite of its good points.
Rating: 
Summary: one of Owen Wilson's most best and powerfulest
Review: a great turn in Wilson's career. he's always playing that goofball in some of his movies but this one is nicely done with pure intelligence and Francher directs with style. Wilson is a nice guy, though he is deadly too. inthe beginning he kills Sheryl Crow then moves into Mercedes Rheul and Brian Cox's house, works at a job and falls in aweird love with Garafolo who is excellent. then he's seeing imaginary cops played crazily by Dwight Yoakam and Dennis Haysbert. Wilson shows us another side of his acting career and proabably one of his best, his character can be sweet, likable and friendly and then can be mad, evily and sadisitic. not one to be missed for Wilson fans
Rating: 
Summary: Meet Norman's Brother, Vann
Review: An unassuming, charismatic personality and a bottle of poison prove to be a lethal combination in "The Minus Man," directed by Hampton Fancher and starring Owen Wilson. When a personable young man drifts in from the Pacific Northwest and settles in a small coastal town, a number of people's lives are soon changed forever, and not for the better. Vann Siegert (Wilson) is a likable fellow with a winning smile and always a credible story regarding who he is, where he's been and where he's going; he's also a psychotic killer who chooses his victims seemingly at random, yet is so ingratiating that he never falls under suspicion. And such is the case when he rents a room from an unsuspecting couple, Jane and Doug Durwin (Mercedes Ruehl and Brian Cox). Without realizing, of course, that he's enabling a murderer, Doug helps Vann find gainful employment, allowing him to establish himself within the community, and the rest-- as they say-- is history. In one of the more telling scenes in the film, Vann reflects to himself, "If it weren't for me, these people would all be doing something else today..." What they are doing, in fact, is searching for one of their own who has gone missing, courtesy of Vann. What is so distressing about this movie is the lack of menace outwardly presented by someone so intrinsically evil; like Norman Bates in "Psycho," Vann is simply too unprepossessing and benign to be considered a threat to anyone. The contrast between his countenance and his crimes is chilling; and the fact that he perpetrates his deeds in such a matter-of-fact, unemotional manner gives new meaning to the phrase "cold blooded killer." One of the interesting aspects of the film is that Vann acts as narrator as well, which effectively puts the audience inside the mind behind the madness, even more so than in "Silence of the Lambs," because in this case, the viewer is privy to the actual thought process that precipitates the crimes. And it becomes a bit unnerving after some reflection upon what is actually transpiring under the guise of "normalcy." Owen Wilson is well cast and gives a stunningly credible performance as Vann; he conveys such a low-keyed, eye-in-the-center-of-the-storm manner that he is instantly recognizable as the boy next door you'd be more than happy for your daughter to date. And after watching him in action it becomes truly disconcerting to consider that in the real world there are those who look and act like Vann and are capable of such heinous acts of violence and deceit. As the couple who takes Vann in-- and are subsequently taken in by him-- Ruehl and Cox capture the essence of the "everyman/woman" that can be found in any neighborhood in any town, and the fact that they are people with whom it is so easy to identify makes it even more upsetting when you realize that the vulnerability to which we are all prone can be exploited with such facility. In a supporting role, Janeane Garofalo is a welcome presence as Ferrin, a co-worker of Vann's who is drawn in by his winsome facade; and rounding out the supporting cast are Sheryl Crowe (Caspar/Laurie), Dwight Yoakam (Blair), Dennis Haysbert (Graves) and Alex Warren (State Trooper). Ultimately, "The Minus Man" is a cautionary tale that may spark a touch of paranoia in the viewer, and with good reason; and after spending some time with Vann, it just may alter your perception of some of your more casual acquaintances and even some old friends, especially those who seem so "ordinary." It's a film that kind of sneaks up on you and takes you by surprise; and it may leave you pondering the darker side of human nature.
Rating:
Summary: A Personnal Approach
Review: First off Van the serial killer depicted by Owen Wilson is very likable. Upon enter the town people take him in immediately as a friend. Day by Day Van narrates his thoughts permiting a glimpse into the killers psyche. Owen Wilson isn't the typical brutal serial killer. His method is passive. Each victim as you will see flows toward there death. It's an ok film. It was somewhat interesting. The DVD contains nothing of great importance. Picture quality is relaxed. Color is bright and clear. This is a much different film from classics like Seven, Silence of the Lambs and Henry.
Rating:
Summary: A hypnotic study of isolation
Review: First rate study of the strange direction that isolation and loneliness can take.
THE MINUS MAN reminds me of another study of a killer's mind, TAXI DRIVER. But where Travis Bickle will never "fit in," will always go against the tide and be rejected by others, Vann blends into social circumstances and is apparently accepted by society. In many cases, people actually gravitate to his character and reach out to him.
But he has an empty heart.
Travis Bickle's heart is filled with rage and violence that explodes outward in vengeful murder.
But Vann seems to just suck the life out of his victims, more an implosion of emptiness and despair. When someone tries to "move in closer," there's just a vacuum. Look in his eyes when Ferrin tries to get past the surface chit-chat and become more intimate. His eyes are empty. He just shuts down.
Both men seem so different on the surface. But their deadly reactions are to the same problem- the inability to "only connect" to their fellow man. With thanks to Forster.
"Only connect!... Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer. Only connect, and the beast and the monk, robbed of the isolation that is life to either, will die."
How much Vann and Travis are like each other- their spartan, monk-like daily existences marked by the occaisonal emergence of "the beast." Stunning lead performance by Owen Wilson, as well as a finely tuned cast.
The music is an important reflection of the key ideas in this film, rather than just a tacked-on score.
A very important film.
Rating:
Summary: not a typical serial killer movie
Review: For those of you who are expecting a serial killer movie with violent deaths, police investigation and action, this is not what you are looking for. "The minus man" is surely a serial killer movie, but with a very slow and peculiar rhythm. It is about a kind and gentle guy, Vann Siegert (owen wison), who moves to a small town, gets a job at the post office, and a room at a couple's house. He is the kind of person you can talk to, or even work with, without noticing he is a killer. However, he is not violent and kills using some poison, which he puts in the victim's food or simply offer it as a beverage. This movie is very interesting, because it shows that even the good persons have a dark side hidden somewhere, and in some cases, they cannot control it. Please pay attention to the dialogue scenes between the killer and some imaginary detectives, who keep questioning his crimes. All I can say is that it's a very intriguing film...
Rating:
Summary: Effectively creepy, and sometimes disturbing.
Review: For those who like unconventional zest in their films, "The Minus Man" should make for an interesting cup of tea, depending on how far your patience will take you. The movie is careful not to journey down familiar territory, creating an atmosphere of dread and surreal intensity that manages to engage the audience by preparing them for a big event that never comes. Those put off by ambiguous endings should look elsewhere, but the sequence of events leading up to these loose ends is effectively creepy, and sometimes disturbing. The film begins by introducing us to Vann (Owen Wilson), traveling across the country in search of something never made clear even to him, much less to the viewer. As he drifts from one place to another, poisoning people with his tainted amaretto flask, he ponders his actions, his thoughts serving as narration throughout various points in the film. He is methodical rather than meticulous: there is no master plan to his crimes, just a simple acceleration of someone's downward spiral towards their not-too-distant end, like an angel of death making his next house call. What is most unsettling about this character is his sublime ability to keep mum about his actions; in reality, he is a kind and thoughtful man with a little business on the side to take care of every now and then. His arrival in a small town leads him to rent a room from Doug and Jane Durwin (Brian Cox and Mercedes Ruehl), who seem to be having problems with their marriage, possibly as a result of the absence of their daughter; the movie makes the mistake of not expanding on this tension. As Vann makes his way around town, picking up a job as a postal worker and making nice with the locals, he picks up where he left off before his arrival, silently claiming the lives of the town's star high school football player, a man aggravated by noisy children in the local hash joint, all the while getting deeper into the lives of his landlords and developing a friendship with coworker Ferrin (Janeane Garofalo). I must say that I was very impressed with this film's casting choices, and their favorable talent. Wilson, who is always a delight to watch despite the material, employs his natural charm and winning smile into the role of Vann, playing him as the all-around nice guy while also evoking a cold sense of doom in his hidden undertakings. Just as he so grandly masks his character's actions, Cox, Ruehl and Garofalo are equally impressive as those closest to him, playing their characters' obliviousness to Vann's true nature convincingly enough that the sense of unease is heightened even more. And if this weren't enough, director Hampton Fancher, who also adapted the novel on which the film is based, has a real knack for increasing the suspense at a rate that becomes almost unbearable. As things begin to fall apart for Vann, from the discovery of the poison in the bodies of three victims, to the foreboding presence of FBI officials in the area, the question of whether or not he will be revealed becomes much more intriguing. As with most films of this sort, this one steps wrong by leaving one of its two mysteries to the viewer's opinion, when it is better off solved. It involves the murder of Jane Durwin, with the suspicion pointing to Mr. Durwin; Doug seems to know just how the police will react to his alibi of going to the dentist on the day of the murder, fearing that police will conclude that he borrowed Vann's truck to follow his wife and do away with her. But was he responsible for her murder? The absence of their rumored quarreling, as well as Vann's presence, leaves this an open-ended case. The second mystery is the film's ending, which, again, leaves us no easy answers or standard thriller showdowns or comeuppances. In a way, this is as it should be; that the movie ends on a note of ambiguity provides for one final chord of tension, a sense of unease that may not be what we expected from the extreme buildup of suspense prior to the conclusion, but is nonetheless brooding. At one point, Vann makes the examination, "I like the detail of a thing, especially if it has a purpose." "The Minus Man" may not have much purpose to it, but it's catchy, and effectively chilling.
|
