When this film was first released in 1998 it was critically acclaimed but not a big money-maker. It's title isn't very catchy, there were no huge stars in it, it was made by a director famous for schlock horror films like the Evil Dead trilogy and it was released around the same time as The Mask Of Zorro. Which film would you rather see?
Yet now that it is on DVD it has begun to gain a following, perhaps not as big as The Shawshank Redemption but still enough to sell a lot of copies and give Sam Raimi more clout; if this film and The Gift hadn't have succeeded he may never have had the chance to direct the Spider-Man movies. And it deserves it for this film is something that will never leave you and is a movie that regularly crops up during conversations.
The story itself is simple: Three friends (two of them brothers) find money in a plane crash and decide to hide it instead of give it to the local authorities. Things get worse when they find that the money belongs to the mob.
This whole film is in fact a morality tale but told in such a brilliant way (convoluted but easy to follow) that it goes into a class of its own.
I've already said that the title of the film 'A Simple Plan' is one of the reasons why the film didn't fare so well, yet the title is perfect: No plan, no matter how simple you think it is (take the money, keep it a secret), will ever be that way once its taken to action.
There are so many different factors that come into effect, all of them threatening to expose the friends for what they've done. Soon enough greed and paranoia come in and we are left with more double-crossings than a heist movie.
In most films these sorts of scenes are exaggerated to such an extent you would think the people doing these are wearing horns on their heads, but thanks to the brilliant script (written by the author of the novel that this is based on) they are portrayed as human beings who have reasons for why they do what they do. Why take so much money now? To pay the mortgage. Why not trust your friends? Because your friends are brothers who are spending less and less time with you... It's real, and it helps that the actors are not big A-list stars but supporting characters in A-list films, finally given a chance to shine.
Bill Paxton has always been one of my favourite underrated actors and this is the evidence of why that is. As the wiser brother and leader to the group he has to ensure that the plan works perfectly. The whole weight of the world is hunched on his shoulder and with the authorities getting closer to the truth (the FBI become involved in the case eventually) and his wife (Bridget Fonda) finding out more and more, his character Hank has a lot of pressure in making the right decision, and sometimes its not that easy.
Billy Bob Thornton wasn't a big star when he made this film but you can see that he is a brilliant actor just from this (also watch the Coen Brothers' The Man Who Wasn't There for his best performance before he became an A-list actor with movies like Bad Santa). A very simple-minded person who just wants to live a good and normal life, Jacob (his character's name) is the morality meter of this film as he reflects upon the crime they have committed and the actions they have taken to keep this a secret. His performance has an air of sadness that allows you to pity him without thinking that he is a child. True, he has the mentality of a child but as the film progresses you can see the adult personality in him and this makes it all the more powerful.
The relationship between the two brothers is integral to the story and if the actors didn't have the chemistry it wouldn't have worked, but Paxton and Thornton are excellent together and this gives a credibility to the relationship. Bill Paxton may be the younger brother brother but because he is the smarter one he acts like the older one, and everything he does, no matter how bad, is done for him and his brother who he loves more than anything. This makes the scenes powerful and effective as he forces his brother to do things that would make him hate himself as a person. These actions may be akin to bullying but Paxton has played it as the brother who must do this and make his brother do the same no matter how bad it makes you feel.
This movie, however, isn't a drama although the relationships and emotional arc are the most noticeable in the film. It is in fact a suspense thriller and the fear of getting caught is always lingering in the air. With the authorities and mob closing in on both sides our three characters must do all they can to ensure that they will never be found. This film also acts out the Prisoner dilemma strongly as each character must act with the assumption that they know what their friends are going to do. Paranoia, as mentioned before, is very important here and much like Prison Break, there are a lot of twists that play out without your knowledge.
The violence too is shocking with sudden horrific bursts of it coming during seemingly quiet scenes. Sam Raimi knows horror violence and it works here where an intimate conversation can turn into an almost cartoonish level of blood which leaves you gaping at the screen, open-mouthed, and allows us to feel the same way as the characters who are now in a situation that is way over their heads.
The weather and setting (small town that is always snowing) as well as the haunting score by Danny Elfman (interesting fact: he's married to Bridget Fonda), who also did the music for the first two Spider-Man movies, gives us a visual feeling of isolation that these characters feel as the film progresses. In fact the snow is harder and the score more staccatic as the movie progresses with a huge clash when the powerful, hair-raising end comes (which I will not be spoiling for you).
The supporting characters are excellent too, many of which are recognisable faces from TV but whose names we always forget.
The script is meticulous and the performances sensational but more must be said of Raimi's direction. He appears to be interested in fleshing out the drama in other genres whether it be the story of love and revenge in the Spider-Man movies or the maturity or a coward into a leader in the Evil Dead films (interesting fact #2: a sequel may yet be made and hopefully it will begin with the better ending of part III involving the future). Here he has turned a conventional thriller into a story of love and deceit and has crafted it perfectly, plus his sparing use of unflinching violence keeps the movie rooted in a real characters-in-absurd-situations film world that is perfect for this kind of film.
So, A Simple Plan: Forgotten when it was released but looking to breathe on DVD. See it and you will never forget it.
In fact now that I have written this review I will go and buy the DVD.
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An endless white landscape of rolling hills and snow-blanketed forests. A lonely acoustic ... more
score (by Danny Elfman) playing in the background. A vision of rural simplicity portrayed in hushed tones. The stillness is about to shatter. Brothers Hank (Bill ...
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What happens when honest, hard-working father-to-be, Hank (Bill Paxton), his unemployed ... more
slob of a brother, Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton), and sleazy good-for-nothing friend Lou find over $4 million dollars cash in a crashed plane?Aided by his increasingly...
An endless white landscape of rolling hills and snow-blanketed forests. A lonely acoustic ... more
score (by Danny Elfman) playing in the background. A vision of rural simplicity portrayed in hushed tones. The stillness is about to shatter. Brothers Hank (Bill ...
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When Hank Jacob and Lou find .4 million inside a crashed plane in a nature preserve they ... more
quickly come up with the plan to keep the money safe until the plane has been found by others and the dust has settled. But Jacob Hank's brother and Lou a fri...
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Jun 24th, 2007
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