Never seen it? Change that. Now.
Ah, the 1990s.
A simpler time, one without broadband internet, social media dominance and Post Malone.
You could make the argument that movies were better, too.
Granted, that’s the kind of argument that could last for days, weeks, months, maybe even years, and who has the time?
So just take our word for it when we say that Grosse Pointe Blank is a genuine classic and deserves more attention.
And yes, it’s better than Pulp Fiction. Don’t @ us.
GPB boasts a strong 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and this writer fondly remembers a perfect score in Neon magazine back in the day – rest in peace, Neon, you were too good for this world – but c’mon, how often do people talk about this one?
A never-cooler John Cusack leads a great cast – we’ll get to them – as Martin Blank, a black suit-clad hitman who’s becoming more and more disillusioned by his profession.
He’s not so much conflicted by the killing as bored of it, and when his therapist (a terrific Alan Arkin) recommends he go back home for the first time in a decade to attend his high school reunion, the stage is set for wistful encounters and pitch-perfect black comedy.
There’s also the small matter of Dan Aykroyd’s crazed assassin rival wanting Blank to either join his hitman union or perish, and ex-girlfriend Minnie Driver’s very valid reasons for being pissed off.
Clip via dvdmajestic
Grosse Pointe Blank is a masterclass in razor-sharp dialogue, characters worth caring about and surprisingly decent action set pieces considering this thing is essentially a comedy.
On top of all of that, the late, great Joe Strummer curated the whole soundtrack, and his mix of Pixies, Faith No More, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Jam, The Beat and, but of course, The Clash, is superb.
Throw in an inspired use of Queen and David Bowie masterpiece ‘Under Pressure’ and you really do have an unmissable movie that you need in your life.Â
Grosse Pointe Blank is on Universal TV this Sunday 19 August at 9pm
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