2hotFeature
one of my absolute favorites!
Mehdi Hoffman
There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.
Ezmae Chang
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
classicsoncall
Ah yes, nothing so simple as a simple plan. Except when unforeseen circumstances and unintended consequences get in the way. Each bump in the road is complicated by further ruts along the way until the whole enterprise ends in disaster.This was a well scripted and intense story ultimately pitting a trio of friends against each other over a significant amount of money, four point four million dollars to be exact. Well, two of the friends are brothers, intriguingly portrayed by Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton. Their drinking buddy is Lou (Brent Briscoe), and among the three of them, their combined IQ level just about approximates Hank's (Paxton) all by himself. Thornton's Jacob is perhaps a mental notch above that of Karl Childers in "Sling Blade", while Lou isn't much more than an unemployed red-neck with visions of the good life that his share of the loot can buy. With that as a starting point, events gradually take their twists and turns until spiraling into disaster for all of the principals and a few innocent bystanders as well. Along the way, one's own sense of morality and greed will be tested in the most unconventional of ways, and if you think you would do any better, well I dare anyone to try.The only problem I had with the basic story was the idea that the plane that Hank, Jacob and Lou came across happened to crash land in proximity to their town without anyone ever knowing about it. Given that as a premise, it would have made it much too coincidental for a guy like Baxter (Gary Cole) to show up impersonating a law officer in order to get his hands on the loot that went down with the plane. Earlier in the story, I was also rather amazed that Hank and Jacob would attempt to frame Lou with that role play scenario with the tape recorder. Like Lou wouldn't have had an idea of his own to protect himself?For a while now, my personal list of 'Top Ten Movies You Never Heard Of'' has been missing a final entry, but this one came along today to complete the lineup. It joins such commendable films as "Nobody's Fool", "The Milagro Beanfield War", "Harold and Maude" and "Secondhand Lions". The ones I've mentioned have to do with entirely different subjects, but in the realm of robbery and murder, this one best exemplifies the idea that crime costs more than it pays.
classicalsteve
Maybe along with "Fargo" there could be a new sub-genre called "Red Snow Noir", referring to blood being spilled in snow-clad areas of the Northern Midwest or in the snowy mountains. The Cohen brothers covered the terrain in a straight noir film in "Fargo". In "A Simple Plan", the snow is also stained with blood but there's a bit more character development than in Fargo. "A Simple Plan" has many interesting parallels with both "Fargo" and "Of Mice and Men". The two leads are brothers, one with high intelligence, the other not quite playing with a full deck, like "Of Mice and Men". The leads are in over their heads and end up playing a dangerous game, similar to "Fargo"."A Simple Plan" as the name implies ends up not being simple. Three Midwest guys in a small town in the upper Midwest, two of whom are brothers, Hank and Jacob (Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton) and two of whom are down on their luck, Hank and Lou (Thornton and Brent Briscoe), are driving from the brothers' annual paying respects to their father at his grave during the last days of Christmas/New Years vacation. Lou was just along for the ride. They nearly hit a fox literally robbing the hen-house, and they decide to hunt for the fox. During their pursuit they happen upon a crashed private airplane. The pilot is dead but their cargo makes their heads spin. Within the plane is $4.5 million in cash in $100 bills.Jacob and Lou begin fantasizing what they'll do with the money, and how it will help them get of out of debt. Hank, the more mature of the three, believes they should turn the money in. It seems it's two against one to take the money rather than give it to authorities. Then Hank proposes a compromise, a "plan" if you will. He will agree to divide the loot on condition they don't divvy up the money until Spring. By then they figure that things will die down, and if no one claims the money they can take it and sleep at night. That's the "simple plan".Of course as the name of the story implies, things won't be that "simple". Almost from the get-go they are hit with a metaphorical snow storm. They agree not to tell their wives but when Hank brings the loot home, he spills the beans to his pregnant wife, Sarah (Bridgette Fonda). They decide maybe they should return some of the money to the plane to curb suspicion. Hank decides to solicit the help of Jacob, but unfortunately Jacob is a wild-card. Hank tells his brother he should move the body back to its original position in the plane, but in truth he's placing some of the money back. While Jacob is guarding their car pretending they've had a flat, Hank goes back to the plane wreckage. An old man comes by the car looking for a fox. He claims that Jacob should have seen the fox but Jacob begins arguing and thinks their cover has been blown. He then bludgeons the old man. And from there everything starts to get more complicated."A Simple Plan" is a good ironic title for a very compelling film but certainly not for all tastes. It's Gothic noir in the snow, and if there's any chance Red Snow Noir could be a sub-genre, this would certainly be a viable candidate. The standout performance has to be Billy Bob Thornton as the not-so-bright brother. He doesn't know when to keep mum about the plane and the money and keeps exposing little secrets about their doings to different people. Everything he does is in character. Thornton doesn't play Jacob "too stupid" but stupid enough that the characters keep getting in deeper in the proverbial red snow. His indiscretions will have tragic consequences. This is also probably the best character-driven film directed by Sam Raimi of "Evil" Dead fame. All around an underrated film noir which is worth a second look.
SnoopyStyle
Hank (Bill Paxton) is a hard worker with loving pregnant wife Sarah (Bridget Fonda) in a small Minnesota town. Hank goes on a drive with his brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jacob's friend Lou (Brent Briscoe). After crashing their car, they go off into the woods and find a crashed small plane. In it, they find a bag full of money. Hank wants to go to the police but he is convinced by the other two to keep the money. Hank comes up with a simple plan. He hides the money until the plane is discovered. If nobody comes looking for it, they will split up the $4.4 million among the three of them.Like the title suggests, this is a relatively simple movie. Of course, Hank's plan is never going to work especially with those two idiot loudmouth friends. Anyways, Hank breaks his promise not to tell his wife almost immediately. The tension builds and builds as these bumbling idiots get into a worst and worst situation. The snowy landscape gives the movie its desolate doomed atmosphere. Billy Bob does a great idiot but Bill Paxton's needy morality is the kicker. He starts out as a reasonable everyday man with morals. Director Sam Raimi fills every scene with a threatening tension.
patrick powell
Sam Raimi's A Simple Plan works – just. There's no denying it's a gripping thriller, but it lacked one element which could have made it not just a good film – which it is – but a great film: the characters from the off are too sketchily drawn. We don't get to know them before it all kicks off and so their development – and the story's development – is taken more on trust than it should be. That's it really. Should you see it? Certainly, and you will not be disappointed. It's just that I feel it doesn't quite hang together as well as it might have done had the film been just a little longer with opening scenes establishing the four main characters more.
