Grosse Pointe Blank
There are very few films that manage to take the nightmarish nostalgia of a high school reunion and twist it into a flick chock-full of ironic undertones backed by a kickin' '80s new-wave soundtrack. Grosse Pointe Blank, directed by George Armitage, proves that this can be done - and damn well.
This dark comedic tale takes place where else but the upscale suburbs of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. John Cusack (High Fidelity), the master of melodrama himself, plays a disturbed professional killer named Martin Blank who's recently been invited to his 10-year high-school reunion in Grosse Pointe. On his journey to the world of overwrought nostalgia, Martin soon finds out that the "bad-asses" are after him, including his archrival henchman Grosser, played by the one and only Mr. Dan Akroyd. There is no turning back now, even if it means running into his old high school flame Debbie (the DJ), played by Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting).
Cusack manages to take his uncanny ability to emulate the irony of the human psyche to a whole new level. His role as Martin Blank is one of the most intriguing characters of his career. Good old Lloyd Dobler (Cusack's character in Say Anything), who once oozed emotion and vulnerability, is back - and he's pissed.
The film boasts a similar pop-culture flavor as the '80s indie film Pump Up the Volume. It smartly satirizes the experience of rejoining the world of jocks and prom-queens, dorks and delinquents only to find that they have either been corrupted by the corporate world, abducted by aliens, or have regressed back to third-grade jungle-gym bullies.
Driver is stellar as Debbie, the woman Cusack deserted at the senior prom so he could run off to the Army to become a trained killer. The chemistry between the two is so complex and intense that you can almost feel it radiating off of the screen. Like Cusack, Driver delivers one of her best performances in Grosse Pointe Blank.
Another bonus: Akroyd's dry humor hasn't shown through this strong since his glory days on SNL.
The storyline and performances aren't the only thing going for this film. You can't help but pull out the Adidas "sneaks" and shake your moneymaker to the tracks featured throughout. Capturing all of the '80s retro nostalgia that we thought had faded along with the acid-washed jeans and jelly shoes, this soundtrack features some new-wave greats. The Specials bring back the ska art of "skankin,'" while Melle Mel and Grandmaster Flash "keep it real" with their rap classic "White Lines." But hey, the funk doesn't stop there - a little taste of the Pixies packs an indie-rock punch with "This Monkey's Gone to Heaven," and Ah-ha takes us back with one of the ultimate '80s pop songs, "Take Me On."
So if your appetite for a great video rental experience has been starving lately, check out Grosse Pointe Blank. You're sure to be in for a cinematic treat.
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This film is hilarious whether you're sober or drunk, just be sure you're not too "schnockered" to miss all of the ironic and sometimes subliminal punch lines (it keeps you on your toes).
Intense sparks fly between Cusack and Driver, and hey - more than a dozen people get their brains blown out in the meantime.
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