Recovered Classic: Grosse Pointe Blank


John Cusack’s career has experienced some alarming ups and downs, but when he gets it right (something he should really be doing more often) he usually does so in some style. However, the undoubted merits of films such as The Grifters, Say Anything, Eight Men Out and High Fidelity can be debated elsewhere, because for now the spotlight falls on 1997’s Grosse Pointe Blank, a sparkling movie which Cusack not only stars in, but also co-wrote and co-produced.

Directed by Miami Blues helmer George Armitage, it’s the slightly twisted and wryly comic story of Martin Q. Blank (Cusack), a professional hitman who’s experiencing a spiritual crisis. Heavily reliant on his therapist (a dryly hilarious Alan Arkin), Cusack’s not only wrestling with the wisdom of his dodgy career choice, but he’s also got rival killer and former mentor Grocer (Dan Aykroyd) breathing down his neck, who wants him to join his hired gun’s union....or die.

An unlikely solution then presents itself in the shape of a contract in his home town of Grosse Pointe, which just happens to coincide with his ten-year high school reunion. Concerned that his life has no meaning, Cusack thinks that a trip back home might help him to find some direction. He is, however, still reluctant to attend the reunion event, mainly because he hasn’t been home since he jilted old flame Minnie Driver on prom night. But urged to show up by both his assistant (a wickedly droll and uproarious Joan Cusack) and Arkin: “Don’t kill anybody for a few days,” the apprehensive assassin sets off to confront his past, present and, as it turns out, his future.

Delving deeply into the brutally funny Cusack’s internal crisis, the movie perhaps takes too long to really shift into gear, but once he’s back in Grosse Pointe, things quite literally explode into life. Such as when he visits the old family home, only to discover that it’s no longer there, replaced by a supermarket. Once inside, he gets involved in a thunderous shootout, during which a clerk remains completely oblivious to the mayhem while playing an arcade game. More havoc then ensues during the reunion, at which the cold and calculating, yet strangely likable, hitman insists on telling people what he does for a living, not that anyone believes him of course. As for seeing Driver again, there’s an inevitable rekindling of feelings, leading to Cusack attempting to win back the skeptical heart of the sharp-witted girl of his dreams.

A subversive comedy which sees four of the Cusack clan in action (Bill and Ann also pop up), Armitage proves admirably adept and skillfully handles the intelligent and witty script, which trains its crosshairs on everything that America holds dear, such as home, family, money and success. Performance-wise there’s also much to admire, Cusack neatly judging the character of a troubled man who’s cold-bloodedly efficient yet charming and sympathetic, while Driver does everything that’s asked of her as the strong and playful Debi. As far as Aykroyd is concerned, his character takes on a greater relevance as the film progresses, most notably during a barrage of bullets during the hectic climax, which belies the earlier gentle pacing to end the movie on an exhilarating high.

Accompanied by a great 80s soundtrack (and featuring some sly James Bond references) as far as hip black comedies are concerned, this is easily one of the more superior efforts. Critics might suggest that it’s something of a vanity project for Cusack, but the guy’s so darned talented that if he wants to write roles for himself, on this impressive evidence, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t.

David Lichtneker

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