The Gingerbread Man (1998)

Director Robert Altman almost always has a way of keeping us involved in the characters and storylines of his films. That is the case with the "Gingerbread Man" as well. This one though is a huge departure from his usual brand of comedy and satire that makes us smile from first frame to last. This one is a fast past thriller, based on a story by John Grisham, that will keep you on the edge of your seat and not wanting to miss a moment of what twist or turn may come next. As a matter of fact, if you didn't already know that this was an Altman film, you may not recoginze it as such. One thing for sure that remains the same is his intuitive ability to put together the perfect ensemble cast that work well together and all have impeccable timing.

The story revolves around golden boy Southern defense attorney Rick Magruder,who becomes romantically involved with a beautiful but mysterious client. Her deranged father and his co-horts are stalking her, and Magruder gets so deeply invovled that pretty soon his own family is put in danger as well. The same justice system that helped make him the success that he is, is now working against him at every turn.He's left to his own wits to keep himself, his family and his client safe.

Not only is this film something very different for fans of Altman, but even the stars seem cast very much against type. Kenneth Branagh, trades in his Shakespearian tones for a Southern drawl, and becomes somewhat of an action hero as our man Magruder. The usually alluring Daryl Hannah, is now a somewhat dowdy(while still looking good!) and uptight legal assistant, and Robert Duvall takes a turn at at being one of the most deranged lunatics you may ever meet! Of course there is also Robert Downey Jr, who treats us to his always fabulous brand of charm, and Embeth Davidtz and Tom Berenger round off this mega cast wonderfully.Once you get past Branagh and his accent it all seems to work surprisingly well!(hey.. if we could handle Kevin Costner doing an English "Robin Hood", why not Branagh as a Savannah lawyer???)

The DVD is a pretty good buy. The price is right for this package that gives you a choice a widescreen or standard formats,Dolby Dig 5.1, English captioning,and French and Spanish subtitles. You will also find several cast bios and filmographies, a theatrical trailer and there is commentary by the director, but may only be accessed on the widescreen side of the disc.The sound is excellent. There is a huge storm going on through most of the story and if you have surround sound, you will think it is happening right there in your living room. The picture in a matted widescreen format is good but not the most crystal clear I have seen.

A highly entertaining thriller/mystery that will almost certainly keep you guessing. That is of course unless you are as sly as the fox that ate the Gingerbread Man!...Get the popcorn ready and catch him if you can.....Laurie

Much was made about Kenneth Branagh's Southern accent... or lack thereof. To tell you the truth, it really didn't bother me all that much and I think he pulled it off. He certainly is a flawed character, vain, self-absorbed but through the course of the movie he certainly learns his lesson as his whole world gets tossed upside down.

This movie really is about human behaviour as opposed to a concrete A to B to C linear plot. The mystery is really just window dressing to get all of these characters together and see what happens.

As always, Altman has assembled a top notch cast with the likes of Daryl Hannah (?!) and Tom Berenger plucked out of obscurity for solid performances. Robert Duvall also turns up as a crazed hobo character. He makes the most of his limited screen time. And of course, good ol' reliable Robert Downey, Jr. turns in another wonderfully eccentric turn as a slightly-sleazy private detective who's buddies with Branagh's character. He steals every scene that he's in.

The DVD is quite good. The audio and video is excellent. As another reviewer pointed out, if you have a surround sound set-up it feels like the tropical storm in the movie is all around you. Altman really knows how to build atmosphere and suggest a specific place.

This is a really good movie. Very underrated and worth a look.