GROSSE POINT BLANK
US, 1997, 107 minutes, Colour.
John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Alan Arkin, Dan Aykroyd, Joan Cusack, Hank Azaria, Jeremy Piven, Mitch Ryan.
Directed by George Armitage.
Grosse Point Blank has achieved something of a cult status. It is an ironic black comedy – with echoes in the title of John Borman’s thriller, Point Blank.
John Cusack portrays an unlikely assassin, a young man who ran away to the army, became an effective government killer, went out on his own. However, after ten years it is beginning to bother him. There are many very funny sequences where he has discussions with his psychiatrist, Alan Arkin. He is also being pursued by another assassin, played by Dan Aykroyd who wants him to get into a union. His secretary and assistant is played by his sister, Joan Cusack. Minnie Driver is the local deejay who was ditched by him and is still in love with him. Mitch Ryan is her father, the target of his assignment to Grosse Point. Other friends at the high school reunion include Hank Azaria and Jeremy Pevin.
The film is unpredictable in its action, the hit-man going to Grosse Point, his home town, to do a hit, discovering it is his girlfriend’s father. He also decides to go with her to the high school reunion. There are some very farcical situations, some glib and funny dialogue, some brooding existentialism on the part of the hit-man. There is also a big fight climax.
Director George Armitage wrote a number of films but is best remembered for writing and directing the thriller, Miami Blues (1991).
1.An interesting and effective black comedy? Its acclaim? Murder, assassins, the government? The tongue-in-cheek approach?
2.John Cusack in the central role, his screen presence, performance, voice-over? Making this contradictory character credible?
3.The settings, Martin’s office? His going to Michigan, to Grosse Point? The town, the radio station, the reunion hall? The familiar settings for the assassin? The musical score and the range of songs?
4.The credibility of the plot, the characters playing the roles straight, the ironic comedy, the serious undertones, the witty dialogue?
5.The title, Detroit, the town? Martin and killing at point blank? The memories of the film, Point Blank?
6.Martin as a character, his work, the range of assassinations, being hired, running his work as a business, with Marcella helping him? The Grocer and his contacts? The Grocer wanting him to join the union? Issues of payment and discussions about fees? Poisonings and the dangling of the poison in the room, the shootings? The variety of assassinations – tongue-in-cheek? The government, their interest in Martin, pursuing him? Martin’s story, leaving school, leaving Debi, going into the army, becoming a trained killer? His personal dilemmas? Going to his psychiatrist? The chats with the Grocer? The union issues? Dealings with the government agents? The irony of his freelancing?
7.Marcella, her work as a secretary, assistant, calling her boss Sir, the phone calls, her persuasiveness, the contacts for weapons? The issue of the reunion?
8.Los Angeles, going to Detroit, the atmosphere of Grosse Point? The reunion?
9.The job in Grosse Point, going to see the site of his old home, the supermarket? His visit to his mother in the institution?
10.The portrait of the psychiatrist, Martin talking with him, the psychiatrist’s nervousness? Martin’s phone calls, waking up the psychiatrist? His anxiety in persuading him not to kill anyone?
11.Martin, with Debi, the radio program, talking with her, the past, going to the reunion, talking with the various friends? The truth and everybody laughing when he told them what he was? The changes in everybody? Drinking? The drug-taking? The change with the fellow students, their professional lives, families? The situation with the corpse?
12.The target, Debi’s father, Martin’s attitude, the change, the discussions?
