Customer Reviews

The Minus Man

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

The movie follows a serial killer, Vann (Owen Wilson) , into a small town to start a new life. Before he gets there he meets "Laurie" (Sheryl Crow), a dead beat drug user. When Vann arrives in the small town, some locals begin to disappear. No one really knows who or what is doing it. Vann has a job as a postman and becomes friends with Janeane Garofalo's character and the story unfolds from there. Janeane Garofalo has been in some not-so-great movies as of late, but this was one that was sadly over looked. Sheryl Crow's first acting roll is a must see. She pulls it off well. This is the first time I've seen Owen Wilson, and now I think I'll go look him up on Amazon to see what else he is in. All three actor's performances are wonderful and the movie is told in a not-so-traditional manner, making for a great film. DVD extras include: Serial Killer biographies, Theatrical and video trailers, production notes, cast & creww information, and more.

This film lived up to all of my expectations. I'd seen the ad campaign and heard reviews from friends saying it was an intense film, and after watching it, I had to agree! I thought it was a terrific adaptation from the book, and I was as much disturbed as I was pleased. I love to have my ideas of normalcy challenged! Owen Wilson played the part really well- toned down and kind on the outside... Garofalo played a smitten, sensitive woman for the first time I've seen, and was perfect in her role! All the acting in this movie is great, but I was most surprised by Sheryl Crow's performance. She was totally in character and a lot of fun to watch.

I had to own this movie- I found that it translated great on DVD in widescreen.

I must say that I had no idea what this movie would be like but found myself pleasantly surprised by both the story and the central perfomances.

A young drifter by the name of Vann Siegert wanders into a small coastal town and slowly people in the town begin to disappear - it's no plot spoiler to say that Vann is the man causing these disappearances - we do see the movie through his eyes. He possesses a disarming charm and kindness that people feel they can trust him, most notably his landlord Doug followed by his wife Jane and his co-worker at the Post Office, Ferrin. Slowly things begin to change and tension builds as Vann ensures that his cover is not blown.

While this probably doesn't sound too different from your average serial killer yarn, it is made more believable by spot on performances. Owen Wilson is a revelation as the drifter Vann, with the charm of a Tom Ripley, his drawling voice and easy smile, not once suggesting a killer behind it. Brian Cox and Mercedes Ruehl are both excellent as Vann's landlords, with Ruehl just topping Cox with a lovely understated performance not overshadowed by Cox's occasional histrionics. Finally, rounding out the main cast is Janene Garofolo, as Ferrin, and she nails her role as the co-worker who hopes for romance perfectly.

The distraction of Vann's hallucinations don't work that well but this is a minor discrepancy in an otherwise excellent film. With his work on this movie and scene-stealing turns in such movies as the otherwise awful "The Haunting", and "Meet the Parents", Wilson certainly shows he is capable of much more.

Owen Wilson is fantastic in this movie, which I had never heard of until I came across it at the video store. It is not the best movie I have ever seen, but it is a very good flick, and I have to wonder why it was not highly promoted.

Other people that made the movie more interesting: Janeane Garofalo, Dwight Yoakam, and Sheryl Crow. The singers didn't sing, and the comedienne didn't crack jokes. And yet they didn't need to, because the acting was great all around.

The only part of this movie that I wouldn't have understood had it not been written on the back of the box was the two imaginary cops who showed up all the time. But unlike Mulholland Drive, this movie was not confusing on the whole. On the contrary, it gave me something to think about.

Vann Seigert (Owen Wilson) has a little joke he shares with his friends: "I was lying in the grass one time and this spider came along and crawled in my ear. It came out again and you know what it said?" "What" "Nobody home." (big smile)

That lame joke sums up Wilson's character: banal, empty, a cipher, a void, a nil, a negative number, "a minus man." So what is it about this character, who is in every scene in the movie, that makes him so intriguingly watchable? It is the creepy acknowledgment that it is just such a nondescript, seemingly harmless, even likeable person who can contain such a world of evil within. "Don't judge a book by its cover." "Still waters run deep." The movie also investigates the theme of "the banality of evil," a topic that gained credence after the Nuremburg trials. Seemingly average people, with relatively benign upbringing and background, who are nevertheless capable of the most inhumane acts and who go about performing their atrocities in the most calm and matter-of-fact manner.

Van Siegert is indeed the Angel of Death. His acts are more often than not entirely random. There is no prerequisite as far as the selection precess goes. If you happen to cross his path at a particular matrix in time, you will be amongst the chosen. Captain of the football team, heroin addict, a complete stranger in a diner. It could be you.

Owen Wilson, with his boyish, broken nosed surfer looks and his goofy smile, is the perfect vehicle for this unforgettable character. The rest of the cast is splendid, but Brian Cox (the Albert Finney look-alike) is particularly adroit at pulling off a bravura turn as the manic-depressive head of the Durwin household that welcomes Siegert into their fold. This Emmy-winning actor should have been up for an Oscar for his work in this film.

One of the really intriguing things about this movie is the fact that, according to the IMDB, it marks the directorial debut of Hampton Fancher, previously best known as the script writer for Blade Runner. The guy has obviously been around a while and knows how to set up a scene and how to get great performances out of a cast. A most impressive debut, indeed.

For an offbeat, but highly rewarding viewing experience, give The Minus Man a go.

BEK

An unassuming, charismatic personality and a bottle of poison prove to be a lethal combination in "The Minus Man," directed by Hampton Fancher and starring Owen Wilson. When a personable young man drifts in from the Pacific Northwest and settles in a small coastal town, a number of people's lives are soon changed forever, and not for the better. Vann Siegert (Wilson) is a likable fellow with a winning smile and always a credible story regarding who he is, where he's been and where he's going; he's also a psychotic killer who chooses his victims seemingly at random, yet is so ingratiating that he never falls under suspicion. And such is the case when he rents a room from an unsuspecting couple, Jane and Doug Durwin (Mercedes Ruehl and Brian Cox). Without realizing, of course, that he's enabling a murderer, Doug helps Vann find gainful employment, allowing him to establish himself within the community, and the rest-- as they say-- is history. In one of the more telling scenes in the film, Vann reflects to himself, "If it weren't for me, these people would all be doing something else today..." What they are doing, in fact, is searching for one of their own who has gone missing, courtesy of Vann. What is so distressing about this movie is the lack of menace outwardly presented by someone so intrinsically evil; like Norman Bates in "Psycho," Vann is simply too unprepossessing and benign to be considered a threat to anyone. The contrast between his countenance and his crimes is chilling; and the fact that he perpetrates his deeds in such a matter-of-fact, unemotional manner gives new meaning to the phrase "cold blooded killer." One of the interesting aspects of the film is that Vann acts as narrator as well, which effectively puts the audience inside the mind behind the madness, even more so than in "Silence of the Lambs," because in this case, the viewer is privy to the actual thought process that precipitates the crimes. And it becomes a bit unnerving after some reflection upon what is actually transpiring under the guise of "normalcy." Owen Wilson is well cast and gives a stunningly credible performance as Vann; he conveys such a low-keyed, eye-in-the-center-of-the-storm manner that he is instantly recognizable as the boy next door you'd be more than happy for your daughter to date. And after watching him in action it becomes truly disconcerting to consider that in the real world there are those who look and act like Vann and are capable of such heinous acts of violence and deceit. As the couple who takes Vann in-- and are subsequently taken in by him-- Ruehl and Cox capture the essence of the "everyman/woman" that can be found in any neighborhood in any town, and the fact that they are people with whom it is so easy to identify makes it even more upsetting when you realize that the vulnerability to which we are all prone can be exploited with such facility. In a supporting role, Janeane Garofalo is a welcome presence as Ferrin, a co-worker of Vann's who is drawn in by his winsome facade; and rounding out the supporting cast are Sheryl Crowe (Caspar/Laurie), Dwight Yoakam (Blair), Dennis Haysbert (Graves) and Alex Warren (State Trooper). Ultimately, "The Minus Man" is a cautionary tale that may spark a touch of paranoia in the viewer, and with good reason; and after spending some time with Vann, it just may alter your perception of some of your more casual acquaintances and even some old friends, especially those who seem so "ordinary." It's a film that kind of sneaks up on you and takes you by surprise; and it may leave you pondering the darker side of human nature.

Almost 5 stars. Almost. An engrossing indy film as any I've seen, we witness a seemingly harmless man, a man we find ourselves actually liking, kill off a handful of strangers without so much as a second thought. He is a serial killer, and his weapon of choice is poison. His activities are naturally alarming, and there is no explanation as to why he feels the intrinsic desire to kill certain people. He just kills them. No certain profile is needed. He kills business men and pretty doped-up women (Sheryl Crow). He wins them over with his innocence and strangely enough, it's not a contrived innocence. It's real. You get the impression that Wilson's character is truly just attempting to feel something, make something of his world that surrounds him with uneasy numbness.

Halfway through the film, our Minus Man befriends a family who rents him a room. He witnesses their domestic disputes with childlike fascination, particularly concerning the disappearance of their college-aged daughter, who the family says left home to find her own way - but leaves the viewer thinking otherwise - and finds himself in jeopardy when the man of the household finally has enough with his wife and....

Well, I don't want to spoil it. This is not an agenda film - like Monster - where you're supposed to empathize with the serial killer. It's merely a fictional story where we get to travel into the life of a man who's seemingly as normal and sincere as anyone we've ever known, with the beamy smile and courteous manner to boot, but deep down, has a desperate desire to kill at random. When he does kill, he doesn't seem to enjoy it very much. He just does it, unflinchingly does it.

Not a gory film by any stretch, you never really see anyone die - just the heavy insinuations. Only about a fifth of the film actually encompasses Wilson's dark side. The other 80% deals with him trying to be normal and the relationship he has with his host family.

Films about serial killers, in my humble opinion, have a tendency to be convoluted. They either use the gimmicks and glamor of Hollywood( Casting Selma Hayak as Martha Beck, the lovelorn nurse, hefty in girth, but not in morality)to seduce your sensibilities, or create an unpalatable monster( Laura Prepon as Karla Holmoka, a sadist with a beautiful face). Owen Wilson recreates the serial killer as a character. He placates you with a charming, articulate persona, then proceeds to blindside the viewer with acts of non-violent murder. He never attempts to justify his actions with rationality, or some purpose based complex. He is...as he says...empty. Its difficult for me to imagine a man like Owen Wilson as a serial killer. His face seems so open, and inviting, his kindness appears sincere and non-threatening. Perhaps this is the genius of the casting choice. He is the Elephant in the room, with his complete lack of emotional flux. For me, The Minus Man redefined the face of inhumanity, by showing us how the seemingly normal ones always fall through the cracks. Highly recommended.

Vann Siegert (Owen Wilson) is a laid-back drifter. Approaching a small seaside town, he runs into heroin addict Laurie Bloom (Sheryl Crow) in a dive bar. Taking her for a drive, he offers her a drink from his special flask ... amaretto and poison. Leaving the body in a roadside restroom, he continues into town.

Once in town, Vann takes a room from the Durwins. Doug Durwin (Brian Cox, the best Hannibal Lector from 'Manhunter') takes to Vann immediately, but Jane Durwin (Mercedes Ruel, The Fisher King) is cold at first. Doug is quite fond of young HS football player Gene, and is deeply affected when Gene goes missing. Gene is a victim of Vann's, though Vann broke two of his own rules. (Don't give a drink to someone you know, and don't do anything in the town you live in) Doug gets Vann a job at the local Post Office, where Vann meets Ferrin (Janeane Garofalo), who smokes and drinks, two things Vann doesn't do. Vann and Ferrin hit it off anyway, and Vann settles into his new residence and new life. But there are parts of his old life he won't give up, and the killing continues.

'The Minus Man' is not a fast-paced thriller. It's a casual stroll through Vann's life, narrated by him, revealing his personal thoughts on life, other people, and killing. Vann suffers from fainting spells, in which two detectives from his past haunt him. Det. Blair (Dwight Yoakam, who proved he could act in 'Sling Blade') and Det. Graves (Dennis Haysbert) appear in his subconscious, asking questions about his reason for killing. Even Van himself is befuddled at some of his actions, and often uses humor instead of explanations in his answers.

Owen Wilson always plays such a laid-back role (Meet The Parents, Zoolander, Shanghai Noon, Shanghai Knights, etc.) that it was a surprise to see him cast as a serial killer. But the casual pace of the movie, combined with Vann's tranquil narration of his motives, is fully suited to Wilson's characteristic relaxed persona. The acting is very good and the characters are interesting. The plot is terrific and the twists surprising and inspired. This is a great movie to rent or buy. Enjoy!

The Minus Man takes the genre of crime thrillers and serial killers and turns it on it's head. This is good because Minus Man puts a whole new perspective on killers and deranged people.

Owen Wilson does a great job as the pleasant, all American drifter. Friendly, polite and genuinely absorbed by the world around him. Oh, and he's insane.

Much of the film uses voice over for Vann's thought processes. He kills with the minimum cruelty needed. He has no interest in hurting others and thinks he is doing his victims a favor by removing them from life's burdens. He is at times as innocent as a child.

Played out over several killings and inner conflict we see on screen Vann is loathsome and likeable at the same time. He is scary because he could be your friendly next door neighbor. He could have a freezer of trophies although Minus Man is not very violent. Instead it is meditative in it's narrative with good acting by Wilson.

There is a bleak humor beneath the surface of Minus Man. All characters are exceptionally well acted with confident and laconic direction. Wilson is completely believable in this complex role.

Minus Man is the kind of film you can watch several times and enjoy the nuiance of the performances, the simple and often prosaic situations that add to the tension of a well intentioned mass murderer. When will Vann be compelled to take a life, is he capable of sparing someone when his feelings get in the way?

Some may feel the easy going pace doesnt fit the subject but to me that is what I most liked. The characters aren't given much to work with beyond Wilson so the interactions are interesting to watch.

Most certainly a film deserving better than it's seeming banishment to cable hell.