Grosse Pointe Blank - R

Quirky mix of laughs and extreme violence with no payoff.

Rating: R for strong violence, language and some drug content Studio: Buena Vista Pictures Directed By: George Armitage Cast: John Cusack, Minnie Driver Running Time: 107 minutes Release Date: 07/12/2000 Genre: Comedy

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know the film contains some violent and bloody scenes. The opening scene contains three men brutally shot in close range. In another scene, one character is stabbed (and killed) in the neck with a pen. The body is discarded in an incinerator. Relationships are relatively mature, and there is coarse language throughout.

Families who see this movie could talk about how the movie gets the audience to feel empathetic for an assassin and how killing is made light of. Is violence ever funny?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Alex Orner

Hired assassin Martin Blank (John Cusack) is stuck in a rut. Ten years after abandoning his friends and family, he realizes that his path in life has left him dispassionate and empty. Even Martin's apathetic psychologist wants nothing to do with him. When a "job" brings him back to his hometown, coincidentally, during his 10th year high school reunion, he runs into old friends, attempts to rekindle love with an old flame (Minnie Driver), and make amends with his choices in life.

GROSSE POINTE BLANK is a self-absorbed comedy that comes up short. The premise seems to be interesting at first, but the characters are terrible and boredom quickly sets in. Not even siblings Joan and John Cusack, nor funny-man Dan Aykroyd, can help salvage the film. John Cusack and Dan Aykroyd are well-established actors, but definitely should have overlooked their respective dive roles. Another blunder in GROSSE POINTE BLANK is the wishy-washy relationship between Cusack and Driver. The couple clearly lacks any on-screen sparks. Conversations agonizingly drag on. The only noteworthy point for the film is the quality soundtrack (including Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now", the Violent Femmes' "Blister in the Sun", and 80's hit "Take on Me").

Families who enjoyed GROSSE POINT BLANK may enjoy other Cusack romantic comedies such as Must Love Dogs (2005), Serendipity (2001), and High Fidelity (2000).

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Relatively mild; contains one scene of a couple making out.
Violence Violent shoot-outs; one character is stabbed in the neck with a pen.
Language Some occasional profanity.
Message
	Social Behavior Professional assassin feels no remorse for his murders.
	Commercialism
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Some references to cocaine.