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Overall Rating
  Awesome: 63.77%
Worth A Look: 20.29%
Just Average: 13.04%
Pretty Crappy: 2.17%
Sucks: 0.72%
10 reviews, 78 user ratings
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| Simple Plan, A |
by Derek
"Should've been a bit better...but still worthy of your attention."
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Sometimes it's interesting to see a movie that is ALMOST hits a home run. Fortunately, in the case of A SIMPLE PLAN the result is not a strikeout, but rather a line drive off the wall.I'm a fan of the crime movie sub-genre where we get to see a regular, good person get involved in something they know is illegal and then slowly realize the consequences of their bad choice. Some would call this type of plot "Hitchcockian," and A SIMPLE PLAN seems to consciously invite that sort of flattering label.
As I too knew before I saw the movie, the plot begins with two brothers and a hunting buddy happening upon a wrecked plane in a snowy forest. The plane contains nothing but one dead pilot, and one duffel bag full of money. Naturally, they decide to try keeping the money, or we wouldn't have a movie. The older brother (played by Bill Paxton) is smarter than his brother (Billy Bob Thornton) and the buddy (Brent Briscoe), but that's not saying much. Paxton and his wife (Bridget Fonda) take charge of the money and what happens to it. Suffice it to say that complications ensue.
As I implied, A SIMPLE PLAN has enough intelligence and truth to keep you hooked. The plot developments are all seem realistic, and they do provide the viewer the opportunity to ask him or herself what they would do in the same situation. The screenplay is smart enough not to make Paxton's character a movie hero - there is no fake air of invincibility about him, and he makes mistakes. Right there, we already have a better movie than at least 80% of what we see out of Hollywood these days. Rather than Hitchcock, the action of A SIMPLE PLAN most closely resembles MACBETH, Shakespeare's dark husband-and-wife tragedy of ambition.
That said, there are flaws in this simple plan for a movie. To me, Bill Paxton is in general a poor man's Bill Pullman. There are some moments of high emotion in this film where I simply felt he was pushing for it. He is right for the role in general, but I just don't feel he's much of an actor - he's less of a liability in silly stuff like TWISTER or PREDATOR 2.
In addition, the dialogue in the film alternates between casually realistic and nakedly expository, in the manner of a movie-of-the-week. Poor Bridget Fonda has to suck it up during a particularly clunky monologue where she lists consequences of Paxton's threat to give up the scheme. Ugh.Nonetheless, this movie still has strengths that outweigh its weaknesses. Hey, Billy Bob as a dimwitted hick - money in the bank, right? Definitely a good rental or matinee.
link directly to this review at https://www.hollywoodbitchslap.com/review.php?movie=559&reviewer=71
originally posted: 02/23/99 15:42:19
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USA
04-Dec-1998 (R)
UK
21-May-1999
Australia
04-Feb-1999 (MA)
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