Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
2.5/4
Poor man’s FARGO
Indyfreak - wrote on 10/14/2022
This neo-noir comedy works better as a farce than as a thriller. The budget is hard to ascertain since there’s a good cast lined up, but it only clocks at 89 minutes and the climax feels small. I almost wonder if the movie was originally planned as a longer release than that.
But its sense of humor is pretty funny in a nasty way. I liked the cynical and sleaziness that most of the characters exhibited. The fact that the whole movie is set during Christmas Eve makes everything seem even more sadistic but it’s still funny. I think fans of crime-black comedies like FARGO would like it. But I can see people who see it as too slight and simplistic in terms of plot.
Going back to how it’s better as a comedy, that’s thanks to the cast. John Cusack is a good fit for a sardonic noir …
Rating of
3/4
Light Dark Humour But Enjoyable
Franz Patrick - wrote on 03/28/2008
I instantly loved this movie because it reminded me so much of "Fargo" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" but a little bit lighter on the dark humour. With a little less setting up who's who and a little more cat and mouse games, this would've been a spicy four-star movie. John Cusack is perfect for this role because I've always thought of him as kind of slow-moving, and he annoyed me in movies where he's supposed to play a guy who's agile. In this one, he plays somewhat of a drunk lawyer and he got the slow-moving thing perfectly. Billy Bob Thornton's sarcasm and wit was spot-on and somewhat reminded me of his role in "Bad Santa." This movie feels very localized because we see the same places again and again but it never gets boring. I did enjoy the cold and impersonal tone of it, which reminded …
