I thought I was prepared for how much this movie would feel like a Coen Brothers movie. I still wasn’t ready for how much Fargo 2 this was. That’s not a bad or surprising thing really. This is a Sam Rami film from his brief period of trying to make “normal” movies. So of course when he does that, it makes sense that he would look to his longtime friends, the Coens. Like, they were friends before any of them were famous. They were part of one of those cool friend groups Hollywood has sometimes. I think it’s also true that if anyone spends enough time around the Coens, the temptation to try the “Coen thing” is strong. Just ask George Clooney. They make their brand of hapless nihilism look so easy.
I don’t want to make this sound like a lazy rip off though. I see the Coen-comparisons in this, but it’s absolutely a Sam Rami movie too. His crazy camera shows up. His penchant for almost comic violence is there. The characters can be broad but none of them are that funny.
A Simple Plan is a frustrating morality tale. Intentionally frustrating, mind you. Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, and Brent Briscoe find $4 million and continue to make one bad decision after another until it all falls apart with a really pathetic end. It’s quite enjoyable. It’s got a deep bench of familiar faces. Billy Bob Thornton in particular walks a very delicate line of playing an idiot brother without moving into Sling Blade territory. Maybe there’s a beat or two of the story that feels more forced than necessary, but nothing too crazy. This is the kind of movie that starts with the idea “how do so many lottery winners go bankrupt?” and works backwards effectively. Not my favorite Sam Rami movie, but certainly an entertaining detour in his filmography.
Verdict: Weakly Recommend
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