Simple: easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty. Plan: A detailed proposal for doing or achieving something.
How often does a simple task, such as hanging up a picture or changing the lock on a door, turn into a far more complicated project than when it was first started? Sadly, more times that I'd personally like to think about. There's an expression "the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray", meaning that no matter how well you plan for something, there's always something that comes along to mess things up. A Simple Plan, from director Sam Raimi, is a perfect illustration of how things can go unbelievably bad, incredibly fast, no matter how simple the plan.
Hank (Bill Paxton) has everything he needs to be a happy man; a pregnant wife who loves him, a decent job, and neighbors who like and respect him. One day while out in the woods, Hank, his brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thorton) and Jacob's friend Lou (Brent Briscoe), stumble across a snow- covered airplane. After searching the wreckage, they discover a duffel bag filled with money; Four million, four hundred thousand dollars to be exact. Although unsure where the money came from, Hank is convinced by Jacob and Lou that it's in their best interest to take the money for themselves. After coming up with a "simple plan" to sit on the money for some time, Hank takes the money home for safe keeping. It doesn't take long before greed, necessity, and temptation overwhelm the men, causing distrust. As other people are made aware of the money, the problems increase, leading to conflict between brothers, friends and family. Things intensify all the more, when someone comes looking for the missing money.
Director Sam Raimi, mostly known for Evil Dead and the Spider-Man trilogy, does a spectacular job of turning Scott B. Smith's novel and screenplay into a modern-day masterpiece. Raimi does a wonderful job of perfectly pacing the film and slowly establishing the growing tension that evolves once opportunity presents itself, before the shocking finale. In typical Raimi fashion, there are shockingly brutal scenes throughout the highly suspenseful film, but all tastefully done.
Bill Paxton gives one of the few fine performances of his career; another would come three years later in Frailty. Paxton's ability to play the nice guy is done in such a relaxing manner, he makes the character easily someone your able to relate to. The complex transformation Hank goes through is made all the more true to human nature, thanks to Paxton.
Billy Bob Thornton, nominated for Best Supporting Actor, portrays Jacob as a bit mentally challenged, only to show that he's not quite as simple-minded as one would think. Early in his career, Billy Bob played some very well written characters; such as Ray Malcoln in One False Move, and Karl Childers in Sling Blade for which Thornton was nominated for Best Actor and won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar®.
Brent Briscoe, mostly known for a number of small character roles in film and on television, easily gives the most memorable performance of his career as the troubled and desperate Lou. The camaraderie between Briscoe and Thornton, which started when they worked together on Sling Blade, is plain to see.
Bridget Fonda, the unsung star of the film, gives a Lady Macbeth like performance as Hank's pregnant wife Sarah. Sarah starts as the loving wife, only to become the dark side of Hank's conscience, planting the seeds of despair in his mind pushing him to make rash decisions for which there's no coming back.
A Simple Plan, similar to the Cohen Brothers' great film, Fargo, is very well written, directed and acted film; a dark, intriguing, and intense character study of choices made and the ramifications of those choices. Although Billy Bob's performance was the only thing the film was recognized for, there are arguments that could be made that the acting performances by Bill Paxton and Bridget Fonda, as well as Sam Raimi's direction, went unrecognized, undeservedly so. Similar is style to the Cohen Brothers' great film, Fargo, A Simple Plan is by no means a happy film, it is a pleasant surprise just how good it truly is.
Grade: A
visit our site at www.twodudereview.com
How often does a simple task, such as hanging up a picture or changing the lock on a door, turn into a far more complicated project than when it was first started? Sadly, more times that I'd personally like to think about. There's an expression "the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray", meaning that no matter how well you plan for something, there's always something that comes along to mess things up. A Simple Plan, from director Sam Raimi, is a perfect illustration of how things can go unbelievably bad, incredibly fast, no matter how simple the plan.
Hank (Bill Paxton) has everything he needs to be a happy man; a pregnant wife who loves him, a decent job, and neighbors who like and respect him. One day while out in the woods, Hank, his brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thorton) and Jacob's friend Lou (Brent Briscoe), stumble across a snow- covered airplane. After searching the wreckage, they discover a duffel bag filled with money; Four million, four hundred thousand dollars to be exact. Although unsure where the money came from, Hank is convinced by Jacob and Lou that it's in their best interest to take the money for themselves. After coming up with a "simple plan" to sit on the money for some time, Hank takes the money home for safe keeping. It doesn't take long before greed, necessity, and temptation overwhelm the men, causing distrust. As other people are made aware of the money, the problems increase, leading to conflict between brothers, friends and family. Things intensify all the more, when someone comes looking for the missing money.
Director Sam Raimi, mostly known for Evil Dead and the Spider-Man trilogy, does a spectacular job of turning Scott B. Smith's novel and screenplay into a modern-day masterpiece. Raimi does a wonderful job of perfectly pacing the film and slowly establishing the growing tension that evolves once opportunity presents itself, before the shocking finale. In typical Raimi fashion, there are shockingly brutal scenes throughout the highly suspenseful film, but all tastefully done.
Bill Paxton gives one of the few fine performances of his career; another would come three years later in Frailty. Paxton's ability to play the nice guy is done in such a relaxing manner, he makes the character easily someone your able to relate to. The complex transformation Hank goes through is made all the more true to human nature, thanks to Paxton.
Billy Bob Thornton, nominated for Best Supporting Actor, portrays Jacob as a bit mentally challenged, only to show that he's not quite as simple-minded as one would think. Early in his career, Billy Bob played some very well written characters; such as Ray Malcoln in One False Move, and Karl Childers in Sling Blade for which Thornton was nominated for Best Actor and won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar®.
Brent Briscoe, mostly known for a number of small character roles in film and on television, easily gives the most memorable performance of his career as the troubled and desperate Lou. The camaraderie between Briscoe and Thornton, which started when they worked together on Sling Blade, is plain to see.
Bridget Fonda, the unsung star of the film, gives a Lady Macbeth like performance as Hank's pregnant wife Sarah. Sarah starts as the loving wife, only to become the dark side of Hank's conscience, planting the seeds of despair in his mind pushing him to make rash decisions for which there's no coming back.
A Simple Plan, similar to the Cohen Brothers' great film, Fargo, is very well written, directed and acted film; a dark, intriguing, and intense character study of choices made and the ramifications of those choices. Although Billy Bob's performance was the only thing the film was recognized for, there are arguments that could be made that the acting performances by Bill Paxton and Bridget Fonda, as well as Sam Raimi's direction, went unrecognized, undeservedly so. Similar is style to the Cohen Brothers' great film, Fargo, A Simple Plan is by no means a happy film, it is a pleasant surprise just how good it truly is.
Grade: A
visit our site at www.twodudereview.com