SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Grosse Point Blank is a serviceable black comedy. It's full of that 90's witty dialogue that Hollywood just couldn't get enough of in that era. The plot is fairly original and there is solid acting throughout. Alan Arkin is a scene-stealer in this flick and probably the funniest part of the movie. John Cusack and Minnie Driver have excellent chemistry and their scenes together are quite good. Dan Aykroyd's character is just idiosyncratic and goofy enough to work. I think he gives a great performance, one of his best. There are a few problems with the movie. The script can get a bit over the top at times. The subplot involving Hank Azaria and K. Todd Freeman is fairly unnecessary and dull. I know the producers envisioned these two partners to have witty banter back and forth but it never really works. As far as direction and cinematography goes, there's nothing really of note here. It's not bad but it's nothing special. It never distracts you from the actors or the plot so in that sense, it works.Overall, I'd give it a recommendation.

Grosse Pointe Blank depicts murder you see, hear, and speak about, but eventually end up not seeing, hearing, or speaking about. In this way, it represents a genre of film that takes place during the aftermath of the Cold War, then famously referred to as "the End of History." The chimera of civilization means nothing in such a world, shed long ago like baby teeth when entering adulthood. Unlike the untamed frontier of westerns or urban chaos of gangster films, the scenery of this newer Libertarian genre consists of little else than free enterprise and its own built-in default morality: if not "laissez faire Capitalism," what else would you have? The intentional cynicism can only disturb you (even more than the violence in westerns and gangster films), but any sting from its moral slap in your face goes away unless you're Old World enough to deliberately make yourself remember it. Blood, violence, guns, bullets, knives, poisons, bombs, and deft lethal use of otherwise harmless household items all blend into the background like camouflage as the characters routinely exchange recipes, attend their high school reunion, and even propose marriage.Other critiques I've read about Grosse Pointe Blank try to fit it into yet another array of familiar genres: quirky romance; post-Brat Pack black comedy; or pulpy action-adventure. Instead, watch Grosse Pointe Blank again and again and know that it knows precisely what genre it is, even if you're still struggling to follow its rapid-fire dialog and ultra-dry humor.Think of all of our most salient conspiracy theories and how they all start with a square-one premise that in our paradise of free enterprise, murder-for-hire is inevitable. Whether you've met a drunk in a bar who swears he will deliver you the dead body of your choice for $5,000 or you're filthy rich searching for the most competent service by discreetly "asking around," money way too easily buys you death. (For this reason, you might even mention Grosse Pointe Blank in the same breath with Oliver Stone's JFK, especially since Oswald is even mentioned at one point.) Then again, the other unavoidable premise of our beloved conspiracy theories is that the more people are skeptical, the more they refuse to face the unavoidable consequences of the first premise. They deny that murder-for-hire exists. They shrug off a genuine solicitation to murder by that drunk in the bar with a chuckle, even though if they truly thought about it, assassins (whether trained by the American Government or a private enterprise like the Mafia) naturally fall into a guild of professionals much like any other butcher, baker, or candlestick maker.If we aren't denying this in our daily lives, wouldn't we all be writing endless letters to the Attorney Generals of our State and Federal governments to solve these heinous murders, just as John Walsh used to egg us on to do by showing us reenactments of vicious true crimes of homicidal passion every week on television? Again and again, John Cusack as Martin Q. Blank openly tells his friends he's a professional murderer, but they are so numb in their tidy worlds that they shrug it off jokingly or with dull irony. When those closest to him actually see him kill, reality might sink in a little more, but any moral dilemma becomes a mere afterthought when it comes time to help him—your friend in a jam—dispose of, say, a body (Benny Urquidez's unforgettably chilling Felix La PuBelle) in a high school incinerator.Cusack improvises deftly around the basic notion of Blank's coldness as trained killers must do, impersonating a gorilla ("oo-oo-oo") whenever drawing his weapon on someone. Dan Aykroyd (known for his own adherence to certain conspiracy theories) masterfully plays Blank's more conservative counterpart, Grocer, with a more Jack-Webb coldness, imitating the sound of popcorn ("bing-bing-bing-bing-popcorn!") and reciting the Bible before blowing away a victim.Cusack's real-life sister Joan convincingly plays Marcella, Blank's loyal and uncannily competent secretary. Alan Arkin hilariously plays Blank's cowardly charlatan of a psychologist, Dr. Oatman, while Jeremy Piven gives remarkable nuance to Blank's once passionate best friend in high school, Paul Spericki.The real acting fireworks come from Minnie Driver (here, successfully curbing her London accent) as Blank's sweetheart Debi Newberry, whose chemistry with Blank matches all his little deadpan quips with spontaneous quips of her own, while always struggling between her decade of anger about getting stood up on prom night with her genuine love for her mystery man. Hers is the only character (besides perhaps Dr. Oatman) who breaks down and says no to Blank's indifference to life, but eventually must shed this by the end of the film, as she finds her own sense of self-preservation (as the daughter of one of Blank's marked men) and confirms her love for Blank who, after all, is not so indifferent to life after all.So far, such a story would fall flat if there wasn't at least some affirmation of the mystery of life. This comes at several points in the story, but most poetically as Blank stares down an infant named Robbie to David Bowie and Queen's "Under Pressure": "it's the terror of knowing what the world is about watching some good friends screaming 'let me out.'" The Violent Femmes rerecorded their "Blister in the Sun" for this film (filled with other 1980s hits) with the effect of making it most memorable as a theme song.This essay can only chip at the surface here. I can't praise this film's courage enough, even though I'm sure that even people who enjoyed it and laughed with its sense of humor might have missed the bigger social commentary, which had to be understated to be plausible. At least let's all pray for a renewal of morality in America that ends any indifference to murder, but until then, Grosse Pointe Blank is an extraordinary way cinematically of stating the issue clearly for those brave enough to recognize it.

A professional hit-man named Martin Blank (John Cusack) returns home on a mission to take out a human target, but because of a "snafu" involving the accidental death of a dog he has a hit on him! So Martin returns to the home town, finding himself falling back in love with the girl he didn't take to the prom, Debi Newberry (Minnie Driver). Debi has obviously held a grudge for ten years considering she waited for him and he didn't show. But they make an immediate spark even if she gives him a hard time during her radio show, located in the heart of Grosse Pointe, Michigan's little town. Meanwhile, Martin attempts to avoid a fellow hit-man who wants him to join a type of "assassin's union" (Dan Ackroyd), two government CIA agents (Hank Azaria and K Todd Freeman) waiting for him to commit a crime so they can officially shoot him, and an determined "ghost assassin" who will stop at nothing to put bullet in him (Benny Urquidez). Oh, and being that it has been ten years, there's a class reunion coming up that Martin would like to take Debi to. You have Alan Arkin as Martin's therapist (more than a little ill-at-ease that his client is a paid murderer), Jeremy Piven as a real estate agent pal of Martin's from high school who just wants Jenny to recognize he's right in front of her, Joan Cusack as Martin's secretary/information gatherer, and Mitchell Ryan as Debi's father who seems to have rubbed a few folks the wrong way (the hit Martin is hired for is on him!) within an impressive ensemble.Those who come away from this movie comment on its screenplay and the absurd nature of how the violence of hit-man employment finds its way into the everyday life in Smalltown USA. I think the chemistry between Cusack and Driver is another major factor in its cult status. They together are like an operatic rhythmic section with the hip dialogue substituting an orchestral choir…they almost finish each other's sentences and share exchanges that communicate an affection and attraction certainly unavoidable. Not that Martin wants to avoid how he feels about Debi…it is the whole problem with Martin being a hit-man. Yeah, that could serve as a major bone of contention for any relationship going forward. There's the scene where Debi finds Martin right after he defends himself successfully against the ghost assassin, having just stabbed the guy in the neck with an ink pen! Yeah, not exactly how Martin wanted to progress their romance! Oh and the whole ordeal at the end where Martin must defend her father against hit men led by Ackroyd is one for the books! Much like he does with Driver, Cusack seems to really gel well with Piven who has some good scenes as the awestruck pal who has been curious about where his friend has been for ten years. The reunion is a hoot, with the 80s songs and returning class of adults, reintroduced to each other (opening old wounds, learning that not much has changed, or realizing that even after ten years some are better off than others), many the same as always and just picking up where they left off, having not changed all that much. Cusack trying to find a way to earn Debi's good graces while explaining his profession to her (this after killing the assassin, with Piven helping him burn the body in the high school oven in the basement, returning to his hotel room!) while she responds in horror is easily my favorite scene. His wide eyes, hair standing high off his head, and dazed and confused expression as Driver dismisses him with, "You can't have me" captures that insane moment of openness that leaves him seemingly confronting the worst kind of loss…so close to love yet his past and present could derail such potential for true happiness. The bedroom scene where Driver allows Cusack to come in, asking to be lifted in the air by his legs, is an example of the film's spirited spontaneity. Cusack trying to avoid talking about what he did to Driver during her radio broadcast is another example of that in-the-moment confrontation of unresolved issues he was responsible for…his reactions when she insists on making him uncomfortable is priceless. The guns going off adds a rather jarring edge to comedy. Another Cusack gem. Jenna Elfman in a neck brace is such a hilarious nod to Joan in Sixteen Candles…us 80s kids totally cherish such nods.

Professional assassin John Cusack (as Martin "Marty" Blank) carries out a killing while he receives an invitation to attend his ten-year high school reunion, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Since he kills people for a living, Mr. Cusack's first instinct is to skip the reunion. He changes his mind when offered the chance to assassinate someone in nearby Detroit. Back home, Cusack is shocked to discover his family home has been turned into a convenience store. He tells classmates he's become a hit-man, which they take as a joke. Most importantly, Cusack reconnects with old girlfriend Minnie Driver (as Debi Newberry). She's a disc jockey, and still single...Don't worry, it's not exclusively a love story. Cusack is joined in Grosse Pointe by a trio of angry assassins, led by rotund rival Dan Aykroyd (as Grocer). It's nicely directed by George Armitage. He makes the actors in his action scenes look fun and comic, which keeps the film on track. Even ex-1960s "Dark Shadows" vampire hunter Mitchell Ryan becomes a softy; in the movies, he's usually a hardened criminal. And veteran Alan Arkin (as Oatman) is an excellent therapist. The writers capture the 1990s and the music evokes the 1980s. The decades are effectively recalled and, here, they seems to relate to each other and the "Class of 1986" very well.******** Grosse Pointe Blank (1997-04-11) George Armitage ~ John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Dan Aykroyd, Alan Arkin