Sam Raimi never really had much of a chance to demonstrate his diversity as a director. For a brief time, he did branch out into genres other than horror or fantasy, but with the exception of some critics, no one seemed to care.
Which is too bad, because 1998’s A Simple Plan is an excellent neo-noir crime thriller and his best overall film. With an aesthetic similar to Fargo and tone non-unlike No Country for Old Men, it sometimes feels like Raimi is channeling his good buddies, the Coen Brothers, while incorporating
his own familiar flourishes…albeit with more subtlety than he’s generally known for.
Based on a novel Scott B. Smith (who also wrote the screenplay), A Simple Plan tells a familiar tale that, when done right, never gets old. In this case, brothers Hank and Jacob Mitchell (Bill Paxton & Billy Bob Thornton), along with the latter’s brash buddy, Lou Chambers (Brent Briscoe), find $4.5 million in a crashed, snowcovered plane. Hank initially wants to turn it in, but the other two convince him otherwise. Still, Hanks insists on hanging onto the money until spring, when they’ll know for sure whether or not it’s unreported drug money.
In classic fashion, the prospect of instant wealth changes these men, each making foolish, sometimes terrible spur-of-the-moment decisions that threaten their plans. Hank warns the other two to tell no one about the money, but he’s the first to spill the beans to his wife, Sarah (Bridget Fonda), who has some (questionable) ideas of her own to assure the plan is successful. Though he’s the sole voice of reason at first, Hank undergoes the biggest transition for the worst, such as an attempt to blackmail Lou (who keeps demanding his share), as well as a couple of situations that escalate to murder. Despite cover stories to explain things to the local sheriff, the plan begins to spin out of control.
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| "Olive Garden here we come!" |
Sure-handed direction keeps things briskly paced and there's great use of snowy and sparse Minnesota locations. But it’s the performances that make it truly memorable, especially Paxton and Thornton, who are excellent in their roles. It’s just too bad A Simple Plan didn’t get much attention from anyone but critics at the time, because Sam Raimi returned to his comfort zone soon afterwards and never looked back. Not to disparage his later work, but this is the closest he ever came to a masterpiece.
In addition to a great 4K remaster, Arrow Video has included a smattering of entertaining bonus features, most of them brand new.
EXTRA KIBBLES
NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with a promo disc for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.
NEW INTERVIEWS - Of Ice and Men features cinematographer Alar Kivilo; Dead of Winter features Chelcie Ross (Sheriff Jenkins); Standing Her Ground features Becky Ann Baker (Nancy Chambers).
ON-SET INTERVIEWS - Individual archival interview with Bill Paxton, Sam Raimi, Billy Bob Thornton, Bridget Fonda and producer James J. Jacks.
BEHIND THE SCENES FEATURETTE
2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By Glenn Kenny and Farran Smith Nehme; 2) By Patrizia von Brandenstein and Justin Beahm.
TRAILER
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