THE MINUS MAN

US, 1999, 113 minutes, Colour.
Owen Wilson, Mercedes Ruehl, Brian Cox, Cheryl Crow, John Carroll Lynch.
Directed by Hampton Fincher.


The minus man is a little-seen and quite unusual drama about a serial killer. Owen Wilson made it at the beginning of his career, capitalizing on his genial screen personality and his capacity for comedy. However, in retrospect, it is something of a strange choice for Wilson to appear in this kind of film.
The film was directed and written by Hampton Fancher, a screenwriter with few credits but including blade runner and the mighty Quinn.
Wilson portrays a man who would past who would pass unnoticed in many communities. He seems genial, unobtrusive, easy to cooperate with th. Early in the film he encounters a woman at a bar, an interesting cameo by Sheryl crow, and hostile bar man, john Carroll Lynch. Man, the unusual name for wilson’s character, goes up as the woman and soon poisons her. We then see him settling in a Seaside Town, getting a room with th a couple whose daughter had gone to college, so they say, played by most CDs rule and Bryan cox. There are very good performances by both actors, especially cox in a role that he does not usually take. Then goes to work and the post office, kills and berries the local football hopeful, goes about his work and living as if nothing had happened-except that he has a voiceover throughout the film, describing what he’s doing, explaining something of his motivations, explaining himself to the audience.
There is a crisis when the wife of the house is killed and her husband arrested. Time for man to move on, which she does without any scruple and quite comely. He is truly are minus man. The

1. The tone of the title? Implications? Expectations? The description of van?
2. The story of a serial killer, mild man, escaping detection, using a special poison, the choosing of his victims, their willingness for death? Why?
3. Bands voiceover, taking the audience it was convents, explaining himself, what he’s doing, mystifying people, justifying his behaviour? The servers compare with the interior? Cold character with a smile? Seemingly genial and friendly? The contradictions in his character?
4. A piece of American, the opening, man driving, at the bar, the unpleasant bar man, the chat, with Laura, her drinking, going off with the van, her life, drugs, his killing her, leaving her in the toilet? Yet his care in straightening up the bean?
5. Driving, arriving at the turn, liking it, sleeping on the beach, the policewoman and urging him on, and her appearance of the end of the film, looking suspicious, but letting him go his way and she going another?
6. Go to the house, his pleasant manner, Jane and her hesitation, her change of heart, the taped with Doug, his friendliness, the room, doug’s visits, the outing to the football, drinking with Doug, the meals, the confiding in van, his bashing himself, his psychological state, is care about Jane? Her explanations of his condition?
7. The post office, Doug getting banned the job, the pleasant boss, the co-workers, his work, temporary higher, happy of the work? The encounters with Farren? Attracted towards her? The muted response? Her leading him on? The home meal? His approach to her and her violent reaction?
8. Faring, bright and breezy, her work, coming on to van, the chatter, the flirting, the drinking, the joking, the home meal, her reaction against van?
9. The meal at the restaurant, meeting the football crowd, the parents of the champion, the coach, the young man and his school for wall, his ambitions for college, than offering him a lift, killing him?
10. Burying the boy, his dream about the whole, his joining in the search for the missing boy, knowing that the people would not be there at the funeral had he not acted?
11. The device of the phantom cops, the personalities, conversations with van, from his inner subconscious, criticisms of him, threats?
12. James death, being bashed? The borrowing the truck? Duncan is being upset, the arrest, the interviews? Van being interviewed, the pleasant manner of the police? Alex final arrest? What in fact happened to Jane?
13. Van and the envelope address to phone? Wanting to be discovered or not?
14. Van, the film portrait, his knowing whom the court, speculating about him handle the situation, the clues, being careful? His motivation? Truly a minus man?