THE MINUS MAN

This week's movie.
THE MINUS MAN

Owen Wilson is a familiar face to most movie-goers. You are used to seeing him play a well-spoken, likable jokester character in movies like Zoolander, The Wedding Crashers, The Royal Tenenbaums (which he co-wrote with brother Luke), Shanghai Noon, etc… In THE MINUS MAN, Owen plays the same type of character. He’s well spoken, well mannered, smart, very likable, just like his other movies. Except here, he’s a serial killer.

He is such an unlikely suspect that nobody suspects him. He narrates his own story with such detachment, such matter-of-factness that you can’t wrap your head around it. He hates violence, and so he doesn’t use it. “I've never done anything violent to anybody, just the minimum that was necessary.”, he would say. And he moves about town while those around him are completely oblivious that a monster roams among them. This is a theme similar to the character, Tom Ripley (from The Talented Mr. Ripley which came out around the same time) who is pleasant and affable but is capable of tremendous evil just below the surface.

There is one scene in the film where a hint of his inner expression comes out. He is talking to two imaginary detectives that haunt him (or are they his conscience?), and he purposefully makes a grimace. In that brief instant, you can see who he truly is.

Although he portrays the same likeable character he plays in his other movies, this is NOT a role you’re used to seeing Owen Wilson. You’ll be thinking about this movie for a long time. Why? Here’s why.

1. The next time you see Owen Wilson in a comedy, you’ll be like…., Hey, watch out! He’s the Minus Man!”
2. Some people just NEED killin’.
3. You want to hang out with him – but if he offers you a drink – just say no.
4. Sheryl Crow is in this movie. Yes! THAT Sheryl Crow!
5. Many real serial killers (Ted Bundy, Albert DeSalvo, etc…) were often described as pleasant and likeable. I can’t think of any other actor who could have pulled this role off.
6. Did I mention that some people just need killin’?
7. What makes this film disturbing, is that most of the people in this movie DIDN’T need killin’.
8. Another disturbing aspect of this film is that, even though you know Owen Wilson kills people – you still like him.
9. None of the usual clichés. No final shootout scene, no big chase scene, no blood and guts scene, and no big scene where the detectives solve the case (well, sort of). Just a well-made, well-thought out psychological thriller.
10. Don’t forget to see the follow-up movie The Plus Man. A wandering serial raiser goes around raising dead people back to life. Nobody suspects him because he’s a loud obnoxious jerk.
11. Just kidding about #10 - sheeeesh!
    

THE MINUS MAN - things don't add up.
Enjoy.