grosse pointe blank review
I’ve always taken a liking to films that effectively and believably distill even the most fantastical themes down to their human elements. Grosse Pointe Blank is a sterling example of such a film. It also happens to be amongst the funniest films you’ll ever see with a soundtrack full of the catchiest music the 80’s has to offer. Our protagonist, played by John Cusack in possibly his most memorable role, is a government spook/assassin-for-hire who entered said field because he “scored a certain way on an aptitude test.” You might describe him as a sort of new age nihilist. The movie forces us to consider if we can truly like and root for a man who has dedicated his considerable talents to deleting from the earth those chosen for such a fate by his handlers. We’ve come to accept that action heroes kill. It’s not a big deal. But Cusack’s Martin Blank kills for money and the movie goes to great lengths to showcase the specifics of how he does so including the business end. It’s no small feat that Cusack and the snappy script create the necessary sympathy for Blank. This is a film about some dark stuff that feels pretty sunny. Blank is a calculating assassin with an impressive resume of kills both shown and referenced in dialogue but he remains likable because he genuinely cares about others, wants to be a better person, and rationalizes his behavior by viewing himself as a simple messenger (of death). As he states multiple times throughout the film, it’s not personal. Once you join Martin Blank in compartmentalizing all the killing, it becomes clear that the central theme of this film is one damn near all of us can relate to: moving on. Blank has done horrible, unforgivable things but seeks to turn the page and make amends. There is nothing novel about an assassin who has grown tired of the lifestyle but Blank has a uniquely interesting arc: a blank slate killer-for-hire walking away from his past life by walking into his high school reunion and getting back with the girl he abandoned on prom night. Only in the movies, right?
Grosse Pointe Blank should be required viewing when it comes to dark comedies. Jeremy Piven shines in a supporting role. 10/10.