Now available from Arrow Video
A trio finds a bunch of money in the woods after a plane crashed near their houses. Once they have the money, they have to figure out what to do and who to tell and not tell about it. Once the authorities start looking into things, they all get nervous.
Written by Scott B. Smith, based on his own novel, and directed by Sam Raimi, for whom this was an early non-horror effort, the film is a neo-noir that works quite well and delivers more than one might expect from a film that seems almost unassuming from the onset. That being said, this film had not hit right in its original theatrical release but now is a whole other experience. Something about having aged along with the film has brought a new perspective and the film works a while lot of better now as a film nerd in her 40s than it did as a late teen. This is one of those films that is a mature thriller, a story that takes its time to evolve into a masterful slow-burn neo-noir and one that has twists and turns that work and do not feel forced. A few moments are a bit odd, but they work in the overall film here.
The cast is led by Bill Paxton as Hank, Billy Bob Thornton as his brother Jacob, Bridget Fonda as Sarah (Hank’s pregnant wife), and a slew of others. The cast here is fantastic to watch interact, plot, argue, backstab each other, plot some more, and eventually come together at least for a little while. The cast is what sells this movie the best out of every other aspect of it. The writing works and so does the direction, but the cast is where it’s at here. These folks work great with each other and against each other, as family, friends, enemies, and so much more. This is what an ensemble cast looks like and how it should come together to create a better film than its added parts.
A Simple Plan has a great look to it, the images here are beautiful and show the solitary life of the deep countryside well. They even make the cold come through the screen. This is winter, this is how you use it as a character, and this is how you shoot it. The cinematography work by Alar Kivilo (and team) is clearly done with care for the final results and the way everything looks on screen. This is precise work, and it looks fantastic. Joining the images in the fantastic department is the music by Danny Elfman who gives the scenes mood and emotions, helping the story move along and move the viewer in the right direction.
A Simple Plan is a film that has aged very well and makes a bigger impact the second time around for this viewer. Seeing it as a teen wasn’t ideal, but seeing it as fully grown adult is a whole other experience. This is a strong neo-noir film with thriller elements and a whole lot going on for the it. The cinematography, the writing, the direction, the acting, the music, there is so much here that the film comes together perfectly.
This new release from Arrow Video looks fantastic in 1080p and sounds really good too. The extras on here numerous and the best of the bunch are perhaps the behind-the-scenes footage, the onset interviews (Raimi, Paxton, Thornton, Fonda, …), the brand-new commentary with Patrizia von Brandenstein (production designer), and the new interview with cinematographer Alar Kivilo. There is a bit of everything on here for everyone.