The Minus Man (1999)

Wonderful character development!

In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

This film tells the story of a young man who moves to a town and takes up lodging with a unhappily married couple. The town gradually is plagued by mysterious murders, and residents can do nothing to stop the streak of untimely deaths.To be honest, I could not quite get into the story of "The Minus Man". Owen Wilson is too handsome and innocent looking for me to believe that he is a serial killer! His motives of killing are unclear to me either. There is no thrill, suspense or mystery in the film. The characters sail through the story, and there is nothing for me to hold my breath for. I find this film a little disappointing, as it could have been a thrilling mystery.

The tag line for this flick's dated trailer reads, "when he's around, nothing quite adds up." That maybe so. For me though, The Minus Man as a September 1999 release, "adds" up to something mighty special. It's underrated. In fact it's so underrated that hardly anyone in the free world bothered to see it (it played on about 45 screens total). I hope my enthusiastic review might stir up a small cult following. After all, any movie this good, deserves a little resurrection.Directed by the guy who scripted the futuristic Blade Runner and possessing daydreaming sequences that involve two philosophical detectives, The Minus Man follows the journey of low key serial killer Vann (with 2 n's) Siegert. Owen Wilson plays Siegert and at the time, he took this serious role in between comedic stints like The Cable Guy (1996) and his big hit Wedding Crashers (2005). I gotta admit, his performance is pretty impressive. He comes off as a relaxed, laid back psychopath. His character seems to be nonchalant, carefree, and having the equivalency of a resting heart rate in the mid 30's (just a little movie speculation).He's a drifter who according to the proceedings, lost his father, doesn't owe anyone any money, and wants to I guess, end people's lives because of their suffering (I guess he's that kind of sicko). He goes around poisoning people by persuading them to take a drink out of his silver flask full of Amaretto. It is mentioned that he may be from Oregon and is heading down the California coast. He decides to stop at a small town and rent out a room. While there, he gets a job as a postal worker all the while continuing to commit murders as he masquerades as a normal, shy person. He even befriends a married couple (The Durwins played by Brian Cox as Doug Durwin and Mercedes Ruehl as Jane Durwin) and catches the eye of a co-worker in Ferrin (played by Janeane Garofalo). Everyone seems to like him and take him in. He's easy to be around, seems to be attractive to woman, and is even able to evade any policemen who don't seem to take the time to wanna solve his killings (there is a sketch of his face in the local newspaper and it looks nothing like him).Throughout The Minus Man's 1 hour 50 minute running time, you never sense that he is in any danger of getting caught or spending his life in prison. That element, which was interpreted by myself, only added to the calm, creepy vibe that forced me to think about things long after the final credits rolled.The Minus Man although categorized as your typical crime drama, is different in that it focuses more on the antagonist and hardly ever hones in on the authority figures trying to capture him. Its plot and the unmotivated actions by the main character aren't exactly clear. However, you'll still be pulled in as a viewer because of the stylishness, the somberness, and the cast of capable B-listers (Brian Cox, Janeane Garofalo, and rock star Sheryl Crow).The script is wittingly and intelligently written by director Hampton Fancher. As mentioned earlier, he co-wrote the sci-fi bender Blade Runner. If you've seen that film, you can tell that he uses his touches as a writer in that same light featured here. He's totally complex in his wording. There's a little bit of irony and you'll notice by the dialogue spoken by the actors, that nothing is what it seems. I thought it was interesting that this is the only vehicle he has ever helmed (but you wouldn't know it). He knows where to put the camera, he's good with light (I like certain scenes that are shown in a ray of bright sunshine), he lets his shots pan out, and he edits well in cuts. "Minus" was made 16 years ago. I kinda wish Hampton wasn't out of the loop and maybe someday, he could put out something new (doesn't matter what genre, I'm game).All in all, I dig this movie's title, I love its indie feel, and I think what translates on screen, is a capably numbed down thriller. Upon a second viewing, I now dub it as quietly, almost sheepishly disturbing stuff. And give credit to Wilson for being in almost every frame not to mention holding the screen in the palm of his hand (without doing a lot, just underplaying to perfection). Overall, as a rare art flick depicting a psycho killer, The Minus Man is nocturnal bliss from the reclusive 76 year old Fancher. It gets a "plus" for being a solid, late 90's cinematic tool of faux translation.

Dare I say this is a movie for adults and sensitive others about still another serial killer? Yes. As a thriller, this ranks up there behind "Citizen X" and about at the level of "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer." Owen Wilson is the killer adrift in a world of lower middle-class environments and jobs. Wilson has always been hard to categorize. He has an innocent look about him, a baby face, a high and slightly cracked voice, that with his pursed lips and wavy blond hair would suggest femininity, only his features are re-masculinized by a broken nose that does a couple of zig-zags down the center of his face.His character is a genuinely nice guy. He's generous. He doesn't have much money but he pays the bar bill of a drunken junkie -- just before he kills her. He's gracious and easily satisfied. When he rents a frilly room temporarily in the house of the mentally ill Dwight Yoakum and the distraught Mercedes Ruehl, he couldn't be more gratified. "It's just right!" He's industrious without being ambitious. He finds a seasonal temporary job with the US Postal Service, sorting letters behind the counter and going odd jobs, but he's so efficient and his character so unassuming that he's promoted to mail carrier.But he has this disturbing habit of offing people he thinks might hurt others, or at least that's as far as his rationalizations have got him. He doesn't put much effort into thinking about it and it doesn't occupy much of his life space. Violence is never involved. He simply mixes a bit of exotic poison with the Amaretto he carries around in a flask. The victim, who has done nothing to annoy Wilson, just drifts off into The Big Sleep, quickly and painlessly. What a nice guy. No kidding, every time something good happens to him his voice rings with wonder and amazement at his good fortune, like a child's.I didn't mind him so much when he poisoned the football hero. I never liked football anyway. My game is trying to roll over in bed in the middle of the night. But I was worried when Wilson took up with his co-worker at the PO, played by Janeane Garafalo. She's a nice postal worker and I didn't care for it when, out of nowhere, while she's perfectly willing to shag a bit, he starts treating her like rough trade. He's been nothing but an accommodating gentleman up to now, so where did THAT come from? Well, we don't know. Neither does Wilson's character. In fact, he's quite good. And so is Garafolo in her ordinariness. Dwight Yoakum, who is given to beating himself up, is properly pitiful. And Mercedes Ruehl as his initially unfriendly wife is positively superb. Her performances sizzles on the screen.I didn't imagine I'd find myself recommending another serial killer movie. They've become a genre unto themselves designed for cretins. But this one is different. The musical score is by Marco Beltrami and doesn't have a single electronic percussion in it, nor is it formulaic. Hamptom Fancher, whom I remember only as Sue Lyon's main squeeze in Puerto Vallarta, has directed it with skill, leaving puzzles exactly where puzzles belong.

Mild-mannered serial killer Owen Wilson (as Vann Siegert) drives his truck around, and kills an asthmatic junkie played by Sheryl Crow; then, he rents a small town room from Brian Cox and Mercedes Ruehl (as Doug and Jane Durwin). The couple seem to be getting over the possible loss of a daughter ("Karen"), and begin to treat Mr. Wilson as a member of their cold, distant family. He's a good fit. Mr. Cox offers fatherly help in getting Wilson a job at the post office; there, he meets Janeane Garofalo (as Ferrin). Ms. Garofalo is attracted to Wilson, but he appears disinterested. Hampton Fancher's "The Minus Man" is baffling. What's up with the imaginary room entrance, the borrowed truck, and the head bashing? What compels Wilson? Was it the spider that crawled in his ear? Are the detectives imaginary, or from the future? Like Vann says, "There's a mystery here that I could one day be tempted to explore, when I learn it better." The film is interesting and well-performed, but only minimally satisfying as a story. ****** The Minus Man (1999) Hampton Fancher ~ Owen Wilson, Janeane Garofalo, Brian Cox