Rating: 
Summary: AN OFFBEAT, RELAXED AND CHILLING PORTRAIT
Review: Hampton Fancher has chose an unusual, laid-back angle in this slowly paced portrait of a serial killer -- from the very first scene, we are treated to some unusual views of ordinary objects, a hint of the mood of the story that follows.Rather than shoot this as a standard whodunit, Fancher lets us see the events through the eyes and the mind of his odd but likeable protagonist, Vann Siegert -- played with an almost distracted reserve by Owen Wilson. We know from the very start that Vann is a killer -- in this case, a serial poisoner of strangers -- the suspense lies in wondering when or if he will take that one careless chance that allows the authorities to nail him. The seemingly slightly simple-minded Vann is very adept at making others comfortable in his presence, at fitting into situations and engendering almost immediate trust among those with whom he interacts. He rolls into town, finds an apartment, becomes gently friendly with his landlords (they even seem to feel protective of him), lands a job, impresses his boss and his co-workers -- and lights a spark of romantic interest in a fellow-employee, Ferrin, played with very realistic vulnerability by Janeane Garofalo. There's something about Ferrin that makes her reach out to this man -- we can feel it, but it's never articulated. The thing that makes this film so terrifying is exactly this normalcy -- Vann could easily be your neighbor, the kid who mows your lawn...or the mailman. It'll make you look at little closer at the people you think you know. The voice-over narration from Vann is very effective in letting the audience see his deeds from his own perspective, and in revealing how his mind works. Far from coming across as an evil psychopath, he's almost a sympathetic character here -- he sees himself as helping the people he kills. Another effective device is that involving the two detectives who are 'on his case', interrogating him from time to time, trying to get him to crack. All in all, the film is well-written and skillfully directed, with some fine work by the cast. It had to be tricky to handle this story in this way and still make it interesting, maintaining the vague tension that fills it. Nice work, and entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: This movie SUCKED!
Review: I am a huge fan of Owen Wilson. HOWEVER, this movie was awful! It was very slow and it did not really follow a steady flow. Lots of things happened in the movie that were not explained. Trust me on this, the box makes the movie sound wonderful. The box lies!
Rating: 
Summary: An amazing film from start to finish
Review: I first saw this movie on the sundance channel and it quickly became a favorite film of mine. (...) This is not a blood and guts film,Its a highly original masterpiece.
Rating: 
Summary: A Worthy Effort
Review: I had heard nothing about this film when I rented it the other day. In that respect I was pleasantly suprised. This film really is not as bad as some of the other reviewers here say. It does not have the gloss of high budget movies like The Bone Collector, but I found that it made me think and get involved in a way that the Denzel Washington movie never did. This is not to say that it is a perfect film. I thought the whole idea of randomness(the killer deciding which way to go on the highway) was a good idea, but they seem to shove it down your throat. I also thought the scene with Sheryl Crow spelling her name for the killer was a weak attempt to immitate the Elizabeth Shue's classic scene from Leaving Las Vegas. What interested me about the film above the minor blemishes listed above(I only mentioned a couple of these) was how it is hard not to like the killer. There are many scenes where I found myself hoping that he hadn't killed a person because I wanted to like him. I found this impulse much more frightning than if the character had been a real menacing guy who was easy to hate. Especially powerful was the scene where he starts to beat up on his girlfriend when she wants to make out and we realize that he doens't know how to be intimate. Worth a view as a worthy attempt to put something beyond the typical hollywood trash on the screen.
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't get out of the TV screen
Review: I just finished watching The Minus Man on SHowTime. Well this movie is not for people who love simple and predictable story line and likes happy ends. Thought I didn't get few things either, it didn't bothered me a bit. Great movie, I'm not afraid to say it captured my attention like nothing else lately. I discovered that there is also great book which this movie is based on, now I have an great idea for christmas present.
Rating:
Summary: Great plot, dumb ending
Review: I just got finished watching this DVD on my portable DVD player. I was impressed with the plot. I read the reviews and decided to watch it and I didnt fall asleep. It was quite interesting until the end. The ending sucked, all I can say.. Watch the movie yourself and you will see.
Rating:
Summary: Sociopath on the loose
Review: I must say that I had no idea what this movie would be like but found myself pleasantly surprised by both the story and the central perfomances. A young drifter by the name of Vann Siegert wanders into a small coastal town and slowly people in the town begin to disappear - it's no plot spoiler to say that Vann is the man causing these disappearances - we do see the movie through his eyes. He possesses a disarming charm and kindness that people feel they can trust him, most notably his landlord Doug followed by his wife Jane and his co-worker at the Post Office, Ferrin. Slowly things begin to change and tension builds as Vann ensures that his cover is not blown. While this probably doesn't sound too different from your average serial killer yarn, it is made more believable by spot on performances. Owen Wilson is a revelation as the drifter Vann, with the charm of a Tom Ripley, his drawling voice and easy smile, not once suggesting a killer behind it. Brian Cox and Mercedes Ruehl are both excellent as Vann's landlords, with Ruehl just topping Cox with a lovely understated performance not overshadowed by Cox's occasional histrionics. Finally, rounding out the main cast is Janene Garofolo, as Ferrin, and she nails her role as the co-worker who hopes for romance perfectly. The distraction of Vann's hallucinations don't work that well but this is a minor discrepancy in an otherwise excellent film. With his work on this movie and scene-stealing turns in such movies as the otherwise awful "The Haunting", and "Meet the Parents", Wilson certainly shows he is capable of much more.
Rating:
Summary: my critical analysis of the movie
Review: I thought the movie was intelligently written, performed and directed. The characters I thought were well rounded for those of a small town setting. The characters Vann moves in with become warm and freindly to him. I think the movie portrayed the humanity of a sick person who felt urged at times to kill, and at the same time was also feeling remorse and guilt for his victims portrayed by the imaginary cops investigating him. Then there was his relationship with the postal girl. That scene where he loses it showed that he didn't know how to relate or react to her advances in both emotional and then sexual in nature. I thought the movie was great. It showed the grayness of life we all live in as opposed to the kill the bad guy scenario that all to often brings in an audience.
Rating:
Summary: my critical analysis of the movie
Review: I thought the movie was intelligently written, performed and directed. The characters I thought were well rounded for those of a small town setting. The characters Vann moves in with become warm and freindly to him. I think the movie portrayed the humanity of a sick person who felt urged at times to kill, and at the same time was also feeling remorse and guilt for his victims portrayed by the imaginary cops investigating him. Then there was his relationship with the postal girl. That scene where he loses it showed that he didn't know how to relate or react to her advances in both emotional and then sexual in nature. I thought the movie was great. It showed the grayness of life we all live in as opposed to the kill the bad guy scenario that all to often brings in an audience.
Rating:
Summary: Expected much more
Review: I wached the movie today and I must say it's one of the most boring movies i've ever seen. I thought that it might get better in the end by solving the main questions - why does he kill and how does he pick the victims. The cover says - "Psychological thriller" and I expected a totally different type of movie. I really think it was a wast of time.
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