thebluehex
The 1999 film was based off of the novel of the same name, penned by Lew McCreary. It follows the tale of a lone drifter named Vann Siegert with a polite disposition and an "urge" to kill. He's soft-spoken and highly curious, reflective, and carries an innocent air about him which may be what makes it seem a little less jarring than it should be when he poisons his victims to death whenever the "urge" tells him to. In the film we follow him through his thought process and his emotions, hinting at a troubled past and an uncertain future. That's personally part of what I love so much about the film, it has a sense of serenity and calm to it, the freedom of the open road with no real destination. But there are darker parts as well, lots of psychological issues that seem to creep up and take control in the form of "dreams" or visions that Vann gets when he blacks out, sort of his way of justifying and/or dealing with the morality of his actions. The film leaves a lot open to interpretation and really has that "it" factor that draws you back in for another viewing (or three, or four
) as you make little connections and come up with your own ideas and opinions about Vann and the events that take place throughout the few months that we get to see in his life. The score was composed by Marco Beltrami, it's haunting and gorgeous with hints of darkness and even humor mixed in. An absolute perfect match for the film.I think this was a magnificent role for Owen, it took him out of his usual "funny man" role, forcing him out of his comfortable "improvisational" zone and presented him with a very deep character that he handled with both beauty and perfection. It's a shame that his performance as Vann isn't more recognized, it shows depth and a sort of professionalism that deserves accolade.See the full review, and more, at Owenation dot com!
lastliberal
I woke up in the middle of the night and knew it was useless to try to get back to sleep immediately. This was on. Yes, it stars Owen Wilson, who is definitely a minus man for me, but it was shown at Sundance, so I gave it a shot.It was certainly different. Not the usual serial killer type of movie. He also just arranged things and watched them happen. he never really seemed engaged in killing and he often fantasized about getting caught.So, why, you may ask, did he do it? Good question, and, no, I don't really know the answer.I did get to see Janeane Garofalo, so it wouldn't be a total loss. I was worth watching, even at 2 am.
manuel-pestalozzi
Watching this movie, you will most probably start thinking about other titles. I'm my case they are Psycho, Arsenic and Old Lace, A Shadow of Doubt, A Beautiful Mind and The Night of the Hunter. I also had to think of Todd Solondz' Palindromes. The Minus Man is successful where Palindromes dismally fails; in creating a setting which is located between everyday reality and the dreamscape of personal imagination.The main character comes out of nowhere and vanishes there again. In between horror invades the proverbial Smallville USA. Evil probably never had a gentler appearance. It is useless to explain what happens and why, as this is not a movie which wants to explain anything.The story is seen from the perspective of a mass murderer. Something is terribly wrong with this meek, likable young man. He sometimes faints, has regular and recurring visions, suffers from a split personality - and likes to kill people. You are never sure if what he perceives is reality or figments of his imagination. Most people he meets act at times very strange and unnatural, even the way he sees objects is often very unsettling (the big, diamond shaped glass pane in the entrance door of his adoptive parents" is one of the scariest things for me in this movie).What to me seemed unique in Minus Man is the way the disturbed man deals with the fact that something is wrong: He just seems to integrate everything into his everyday routine. Even the recurring dreams of Kafkaesque interrogations by a racially mixed team of some kind of investigators are faced with a cool, detached demeanour. In a strange, scary way the man seems to have found peace with himself and his condition. Others will have to pay with their lives.The Minus Man boasts an ensemble cast that is simply awesome. For some reason the female parts made a particularly deep impression on me, especially Mercedes Ruehl as the adoptive mother" and Alex Warren as the supernatural state trooper. Janeane Garofalo is really cute and easily the most uplifting character of the movie. Watch her bungalow it seems to come right out of a children's book of fairy stories.
Matt Toogood
This is a movie that happened to be on T.V on a night that i was extremely tired. I would have preferred to go to sleep than watch a movie. That is, if it was your ordinary everyday movie that you see.... every day.I start off by saying that if you are only into the cliché Hollywood action and story lines then this will make you feel like you just sat through absolutely nothing and most likely won't appeal to you as you have read various people say throughout 'most movies have this and that and this but this had none of that', as if apparently thats a bad thing. (and it is for most people). However if you are wanting a movie with a fantastic story that is laid back and just such a pleasure to watch then you'll love it. There isn't at all much dialog, but the movie itself says more than if you string all the words from all three lord of the rings books together.I laughed a few times ad Vanns charming humour. If I was Wilson, i would personally think that this movie would be my favourite piece that I have done.There is no happy ending. There isn't really an ending at all. This is a REAL movie in the sense that absolutely nothing that is actually unlikely to happen happens. It shows how easy it is to actually do what Vann does and get away with it.Vann isn't a bad man. He chooses his targets by noticing a willingness in them to die or who are angry.I give this movie a ten due to the fact that there is nothing bad you can say about the movie, even though it is most definitely not everybodies ideal movie.
AD
