The Minus Man (1999)

The Minus Man (1999). 1h 51m | R

“u0026quot;Iu0026#39;ve never done anything violent to anybody, just the minimum that was necessary. No fear, no pain, they just go to sleep. But after itu0026#39;s done thereu0026#39;s no going back, no second chance, if I made a mistake Iu0026#39;ll pay for it.u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Minus Man is a very special film. It doesnu0026#39;t rely on sleuthing and big chases to find the truth. It doesnu0026#39;t have big car chases and women being chased through hallways or down dark streets. What it DOES do is show how subtlety can be more deeply disturbing and effective in telling a story about a serial killer that enters a small town and changes the lives of those who are drawn to him.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;You donu0026#39;t always choose WHAT you do, sometimes what you do chooses YOU. Thatu0026#39;s where discipline comes in.u0026quot; Vann (Owen Wilson) speaks lines such as that one throughout the story, and in many ways they help you understand him (yet not completely) and what may hinder his actions. Heu0026#39;s likeable, quiet, and seems to be what people want or perceive him to be: their friend, tenant, and co-worker. Vann just happens to start breaking his personal rules and poisoning people nearby, and things start getting complicated. But we like Vann, we have affections for him, we know what heu0026#39;s doing is wrong but we want him to be alright.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHis landlords Doug (Brian Cox, cinemau0026#39;s original Hannibal Lecter) and Jane (Mercedes Ruehl), have their own skeletons in the closet and it seems that everyone ELSEu0026#39;S problems are what could mess up Vannu0026#39;s quiet killing spree.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOwen Wilson handles his role with such ease, eating his Clark bars and having discussions with imaginary detectives played by Dwight Yoakam and Dennis Haysbert. These scenes show an extension of Vannu0026#39;s psyche, and actually keeps him in check, maintaining his sanity really. Janeane Garofalo is surprisingly affecting and quite serious as the co-worker with a crush on Vann. A major surprise is the wonderful performance of Laurie played by singer Sheryl Crow. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s nice to see such a beautifully crafted psychological u0026quot;thrilleru0026quot; where we as the audience are part of the atmosphere around Vann, seeing more than anyone else yet not completely let in on his reasoning. I didnu0026#39;t find this method elusive, rather it was giving us the chance to witness a portion of time in a town, what happened there, and then Vann moves on, leaving us to wonder what his next chapter will be. The great thing is that you will never be bored by this–all the conversations, the thoughts in his head, the killings, we get to absorb them into our minds and figure it all out for ourselves.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Minus Man is a subtle and brilliant film from Hampton Fancher. A very human story that doesnu0026#39;t need buckets of blood and people chasing everyone around. It leaves many things throughout to help you gather your own clues and interpretations and is guaranteed to have you discussing it long after itu0026#39;s over. I am very happy to have this DVD in my collection, and most stores donu0026#39;t stock a title like this because itu0026#39;s not u0026quot;top hitsu0026quot; fare…do yourself a favor and seek this one out, it makes a nice companion piece to Egoyanu0026#39;s film u0026quot;Feliciau0026#39;s Journey.u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf one thing left an impression on me to this day, itu0026#39;s the headline on a newspaper Vann was reading in a diner: u0026quot;Boy Trapped Inside Travelling Exhibitu0026quot;…a rather nice metaphore on Vannu0026#39;s situation I think….no? Well, we could talk about it for HOURS……….”