Rating: 
Summary: And a Simple Movie
Review: Both my husband and I fell asleep before the movie was over. I'd wake up long enough to notice that someone had done something stupid, again, and dose back off. After doing this about 3 times, I gave up & went to bed. I never bothered to watch the end.
Rating: 
Summary: An Atmospheric Gem Of A Suspense Film
Review: This was my favorite film from '98 and it's a modern day masterpiece of its type. I've always been intrigued by films where several characters do something that ties them together(rob a bank, kill someone, find some stolen loot, etc....) and then proceed to all turn on each other one by one. This film concerns three men who find a downed plane and a sack with 4 million in cash. The 3 decide to split the obviously HOT loot without turning it into the authorities. The after effects of the characters criminal actions become harsher as the film progresses and Raimi and crew do a wonderful job of slowly tightening the knot of suspense. I think some people may have been turned off by how down-beat the tone of the film is but that's precisely why the film is so great. It's dark but appropriately so. The film is all of a piece and I think if you give it a chance you won't be disappointed. Btw, Thornton was robbed of an oscar for this film. I think he was nominated and lost to James Coburn. He is amazing. And for once, Bridget Fonda's listless, colorless under-acting is perfectly suited. She works well with Paxton and Thornton and this is probably the best work her & Paxton have done. Although Paxton is also good in the later under-rated "Frailty". You don't get anything in the way of extras w/this dvd but it's worth it for the film alone. Lastly, props to Danny Elman for his wonderfully eerie little film score.
Rating: 
Summary: How money can bring out the worst in people!
Review: This is by far a creepy movie, Bill Paxton & Billy Bob Thornton give great performances here as two brothers who it seems doesn't care for each other very much, but tolerate each other, the story takes place in a small town, never have I seen so much snow in a movie as I have here, snow is an endless stretch on land as far as anyone can see here, this is definately a town the viewer would not really want to live in, the story begins as Paxton & Thornton & a friend of theirs go on a hunting expediton, only to discover a crashed plane that by now has been covered in falling snow, there is a dead pilot & a duffle bag of money that is about 4 million dollars in cash, this is where the moral issue comes into play, not only do the men debate what to do with it, the viewer automatically finds their morality in question as to what they would do if put in this scenario, not since the film "Indecent Proposal" has a morality play about money been so apparent, the three eventually decide to keep it for at least a year until they feel that no one will come for it, a simple plan it is, & is very real in that this could happen, & that this would be a good idea, but Murphy's Law rears its ugly head as Paxton tells his wife (Bridget Fonda) who immediately begins plotting to get him & her to take it & run, not only do they contiplate this, but Thornton returns to the crash which prompts suspision from a local,Thornton's character is not to bright, in fact he is somewhat mentally handicapped which makes it even more risky, the local sees Thornton from a distance & goes to talk to him, but Paxton arrives just in time to distract his suspision, suddenly Thornton whacks the guy over the head after he notices the plane, what happens from there is shocking, to make matters worse, their friend decides he wants the money now, not later, & bickers with Paxton, & makes idle threats, involving blackmail that Paxton later uses against him via a tape recorder, what follows is another shocking moment(won't spoil it here), soon paranoia sets in where Paxton is soon looking over his shoulder, soon after a Federal Agent(Gary Cole) shows up who may or may not be who he says he is, who makes the situation even more spooky, as he questions Paxton & Thornton, & later reveals the real truth about the money, all the while Fonda is thinking of ways to take it & run, won't spoil the ending, except to say it could have been much better, but this film truely shows how money can make good people do terrible things & can ultimately ruin friendships, & create double-crosses in that you can really trust no one in such a situation! definately a thriller in a creepy setting!
Rating: 
Summary: Weird....
Review: If I had not read the book before, maybe I would have liked this movie more than I did. After all, Paxton and Thorton give above average performances here. But what amazed most was the fact that Scott Smith himself adapted his original book to the screen. So, one could supose that the necessary amount of changes would be minimal and restrict. No. Smith himself changed a LOT of his book. Believe me, Hank Mitchell is a lot less bad than he is in the book. But maybe, when translating it to screen, Scott Smith realized that his acclaimed book had some unecessary excesses of violence, like, for instance, a horrible chapter in a small store, when Hank kills an old woman... All in all, it's a good movie for those who had not read the book. Also, it proved that Sam Raimi is definitely a great director beyond the horror movies.
Rating: 
Summary: not bad, but not good enough either.
Review: Simple plots, 2 dimensional performance, cliche storyline with struggling lower class rednecks and miserable housewives. Money, money, money. The rich richer, the poor poorer and always short of money. Unless anything happens like what happened in this movie, there is no chance to get rich without a small airplane crashing down from the sky with Mafia money in the bag. What if even short of couple of bucks to buy lotto to dream along? Sigh......
Rating:
Summary: Like Fargo??? You'll enjoy this!
Review: Okay, so a plan crashes and money is found...what happens next is a riot of misguided attempts to... Well, I don't want to give anything away. I don't in my reviews because it's fun to be surprised! Billy Bob Thorton and Bill Paxton are mismatched brothers who discover a huge load of money and the events that follow the discovery are hysterical to watch - in a demented sort of way! The acting, directing, and writing are fabulous! The missteps that surround the brothers and a friend as they handle the discovery will leave you laughing and crying all at the same time --- you'll be crying because you are laughing too hard and laughing because you know you should be crying instead! See it...enjoy it...and remember if you ever find any money - don't tell ANYONE!
Rating:
Summary: Have You Heard Of the Darwin Awards
Review: Firstly, I did like the film, but be prepared to use a certain amount of patience to get through the early portion of the film. The players that come upon a fortune are the type that you read about making the most outrageously stupid decisions. They start out as a trio that makes the three stooges appear to be summa cum laude scholars. Their early actions really stretch credibility, but by the end you are dealing with one character that is more like Lenny from Steinbeck's, "Of Mice And Men", he is dim, but more pathetic than anything else. And sharp perceptions of reality do not automatically flow from a college diploma. Billy Bob Thornton beautifully portrays yet another individual living on the fringe of society and normality. His brother portrayed by Bill Paxton is allegedly the college educated opposite that you expect some sense from, but money will lower anyone's IQ and severely impair their judgment. Bridget Fonda plays a progressively creepier small town Machiavelli discussing the reasonableness of murder while cradling her newborn child. It would be easy to dismiss this as a morality tale using money as the oldest form of corruption and catalyst for distrust. By the film's end events go far beyond anything you will expect, even if it requires certain foolish presumptions made toward one federal agent. The film is stark and takes it time. It is worth the effort.
Rating:
Summary: A Film that Shows You Nothing is Ever Simple. Ever.
Review: "A Simple Plan" isn't your ordinary thriller where you know exactly who's the bad guy and who's the good guy. This isn't the type of thriller where you know right way who's pulling the strings. "A Simple Plan" is a one-of-a-kind thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire movie. You are just about to find out that sometimes good people do evil things. This movie is about three men who stumple upon a crashed airplane. Inside is a dead pilot....and a bag full of cash. They can keep the money. It's not stealing......is it? Well, they're about to find out how something that seems so simple can end up costing whole lot more than any of them can even imagine. The acting is great in this movie. Paxton and Thornton do a really good job in their roles. Bridget Fonda also does a great job, being the wife who eggs her husband on and devises all of the plans and schemes for him on how to keep the money. Sam Raimi does an outstanding job as director. The cinematography is also breathtaking. What I really like about this movie is the story. It's a very thought-provoking and disturbing thriller that has numerous twists and turns along the way. And the ending.....wow. You're not going to believe how this movie will end. The DVD is great when it comes to sound and picture quality. Especially picture quality. One of those DVDs where you see the picture clear as crystal. It lacks in special features, as always the case with Paramount. So don't have your heart set on that aspect of the DVD. "A Simple Plan" is a brilliant thriller with a very clever and well-structured plot. If you like thrillers with edge and disturbing twists, this is the movie for you. A great story, a great plot, a great cast of characters, and overall a great movie.
Rating:
Summary: Annoying Characters Make Movie Unwatchable
Review: Couldn't finish the film. I just don't have the patience to watch people whose reasoning skills are this poor muddle their way through a drama to what is obviously going to be a messy conclusion. Blah.
Rating:
Summary: Everything but a "Simple Plan"
Review: ...P>I loved the way the characters in this film never thought of the drug dealers who would be coming back to get their money. That is the first thing I would have thought of if I discovered the plane. They left behind four million dollars in cash. Didn't it strike anyone that someone would be back to recover it? Gary Cole plays the F.B.I. impersonator who comes to pick up the money. All of the actors Thorton, Paxton etc. have done a great job portraying contemporary people in a small town. It's such a good movie because I can see this happening in real life. A bunch of guys finding millions and killing one another to get it all. It's a good moral tale that shows one that greed is the greatest killer of all.
| 
