Spenc Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Just saw this movie for the first time. Martin Blank (John Cusack) returns to Detroit for a hit job the same weekend as his high school reunion in a little suburb outside the city (Grosse Pointe). He disappeared from home on prom night, ditching his girlfriend, friends and family and has not been seen or heard from since. Everyone spotting him in town before, and then during the reunion, asks him what he's been up to for 10 years and he repeatedly tells people he kills people for a living. The generally just laugh it off as a joke or skim right by it due to self-involvement, drinking, etc.) What I found really interesting about the movie is the way his honest confession of his murderous job juxtaposes the common small talk of the ordinary people of the society that he is separate from (he is a self-described loner beyond just having a secretive job). The very method by which Blank speaks with candor for pretty much the first time in 10 years, is the same method by which the society at large avoids real conversation. The script that everyone follows in their small talk reduces their interactions to being meaningless drivel, and simultaneously this is Martin's only experience of vulnerability and openness. I really enjoyed observing this in the movie and thinking about it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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