Grosse Pointe Blank -DVD
Wed 06 August 2008
Jacqueline Smith, Journalism
Grosse Pointe Blank is black comedy at its best. The film is a 1997 release but has lost nothing over the years and is a must for anyone who likes their comedy a little dark and twisted.
Martin Blank (John Cusack) is a professional killer, who is beginning to question the meaning of life, when an invitation arrives for his 10 year high school reunion.
Being a hit man doesn’t hold the same appeal for Martin anymore; he says he’s lost the taste for it. Martin is having problems with a psychopathic fellow hit man, Grocer (Dan Aykroyd), who is trying to force him to join a hit man’s union, and with his therapist, Dr Oatman (Alan Arkin), who doesn’t want to treat him after he found out Martin is a professional killer.
After two botched hits, Martin agrees to make amends by doing a free hit on a federal witness. His secretary, Marcella (Joan Cusack), encourages him to accept the hit as it is just near Grosse Pointe, which means he can attend his reunion as well. When he arrives in Grosse Pointe Martin looks up his old flame, Debi (Minnie Driver), who he stood up on Prom night. Martin’s explanation for ditching her was that he was sitting in his rented tux and realised he wanted to kill someone, so he joined the army. When he took his service exam and his psych test fitted a certain ‘moral flexibility’ he was loaned out to a CIA sponsored program and became a professional killer.
Martin meets up with his old school friend Paul, who wants to know what happened on Prom night. Martin explains he “freaked out...joined the army...worked for the government...went into business for myself...I’m a professional killer.” Paul, like all Martin’s old friends, doesn’t believe him - that is until the night of the reunion.
The film features some brilliant music from the ’80s including, The Clash, Violent Femmes, The Jam, The Specials, Echo & the Bunny Men, The Pixies and The Cure.
Great screenplay, great characters, great soundtrack.
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