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"Nowhere
'Man'"
by Scott Mantz
"The Minus Man"
Owen Wilson, Janeane Garofalo
Directed by Hampton Fancher
The saying "never
judge a book by its cover" couldn't ring more true with the intense
psychological thriller "The Minus Man". Between the lead character,
the small-town setting, and even the marketing of the film, things
are not what they appear to be. This is one of those films that
leaves a more lasting impression by not having a clear-cut "let's-wrap-things-up"
ending.
"The Minus Man"
is unusual on many levels. First-time director Hampton Fancher,
best known for penning the screenplay to the cult sci-fi classic
"Blade Runner", successfully captures small-town America in all
its dysfunctional glory. A town that appears to be straight out
of Americana is in fact populated with flawed inhabitants. Nobody's
perfect, but these people are downright strange.
Vann Steigert
(Owen Wilson) is a loner from out of town making his way across
the country. Not only does he appear to be harmless, but he has
such an air of likability that people flock to him. Little do they
know that they are embracing a crazed sicko who will ultimately
do them in. He is taken in by reclusive Jane (Mercedes Ruel) and
her self-destructive, but well-meaning, husband Doug (Brian Cox).
Doug gets him a job at the local post office (hmm, a killer working
for a post office--coincidence?), where his work ethic impresses
his superiors. As he settles into his new life, he starts killing
the locals one by one.
Owen Wilson,
with his "aw, shucks" grin and surfer-dude haircut, does an excellent
job in creating a homicidal maniac so sympathetic, you just want
to be his friend. Wilson successfully walks the thin line between
that of an adorable, nice guy and that of a sick, twisted mental
case. He is not violent with his victims, as if he somehow feels
that he's doing them a favor by killing them. Janeane Garofalo does
away with her usual smart-aleck attitude and is excellent as the
sweet-natured, insecure co-worker who pursues Wilson.
This is not
the kind of film that has a clear-cut beginning, middle, and end,
but that's OK. It still works. It gets intense at times, but it
leaves you perplexed, wanting more, wanting answers that you will
never get. In this case, there doesn't need to be a reason for things.
Sometimes evil is evil for evil's sake.
Even the marketing
for the film is baffling. In the trailer shown at theaters, a woman
abruptly ends a date when she notices the time and is late for her
job as a lifeguard. When she shows up at her post, she finds two
people floating in the pool. It is sad in a funny way, but the scene
is never shown in the film. Is this the work of Steigert in his
sick trek across the country?
People in big
cities are used to the fact that there are sick people everywhere.
However, those of you in cozy small towns, take note. Things are
never what they appear to be, and the face of evil could be sitting
right next to you at the local coffee shop.
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