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POINTE BLANK (director: George
Armitage; screenwriters: Tom Jankiewicz/D. V. DeVincentis/Steve Pink/John
Cusack/based on a story by Mr. Jankiewicz;
cinematographer: Jamie
Anderson; editor: Brian Berdan;
music: Joe
Strummer; cast: John Cusack (Martin Q. Blank), Minnie Driver
(Debi Newberry), Alan Arkin (Dr. Oatman), Dan Aykroyd
(Grocer), Joan Cusack (Marcella), Hank Azaria (Lardner,
Fed Agent), K. Todd Freeman (Kenneth McCullers, Fed
Agent), Mitchell
Ryan (Dbi's Dad); Runtime: 107; MPAA Rating:
R; producers: Susan
Arnold/Donna Arkoff Roth/Roger Birnbaum; Hollywood Pictures;
1997) "Silly black comedy fires a blank." Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz Silly black comedy fires a blank. Director George Armitage ("Hit Man"/"Miami Blues"/"The Big Bounce") gives it no edge and the one-joke pic suffers from awkward dialogue and a slipshod story. By the conclusion it loses its moral compass and becomes irksome and contrived. It's team written by Tom Jankiewicz, D. V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink and John Cusack, and is based on a story by Mr. Jankiewicz. Freelance hit man Marty
Blank (John Cusack) returns to his hometown of Grosse
Pointe, an affluent suburb of Detroit, for his high
school's 10th reunion weekend. After consulting with his
reluctant shrink (Alan Arkin), too afraid to terminate
the treatment, the shrink tells his patient he thinks
it's a good idea that he should go to the reunion and
try to see how it feels not to kill for a few days.
Marty's zany secretary (Joan Cusack, John's sister)
arranges for a hit job while he's in Motown. At the
reunion the neurotic army trained contract killer is
anxious to meet again Debi (Minnie Driver), the girl
he dated and stood up for the prom but still loves.
There's also a rival
hit man called Grocer (Dan Aykroyd), who wants to
merge hitmen into his organization to avoid conflicts.
The Grocer is angered that Marty refuses his offer and
thereby vows to take him out. At the reunion, Marty meets
Debi and starts to rethink his life and realizes he's
a stressed-out careerist who needs new goals in life.
He starts his life anew
by not going through with the hit on Debi's executive
father and stopping the Grocer from carrying out the
contract killing. REVIEWED ON 9/18/2011 GRADE: C Dennis Schwartz: "Ozus' World Movie Reviews" © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DENNIS SCHWARTZ |