Netflix Pick for 10/13/14 – ‘Grosse Pointe Blank’

“Grosse Pointe Blank” is a 90’s romantic comedy that centers on a freelance hitman character going through something of an existential crisis. It features a stereotypical story about a guy coming back into the life of his slighted high school sweetheart years later and how she reacts and decides whether or not to take the guy back. In this case, it’s Minnie Driver as the slighted girlfriend and John Cusack is the guy who ditched her on prom night to live a life that eventually led to professional assassin.

This is a fun movie, definitely fitting into that dark and kind of cynical comedy that was in fashion after “Pulp Fiction” exploded on to the scene a few years prior, and sure this screenplay was in development a few years before “Pulp Fiction” came out but the environment created by the release of that movie surely helped “Grosse Pointe Blank” get made a little faster than other projects at the time. Plus it has a fun and at times irreverent tone that helps the more basic romantic comedy elements seem fresher and more viable. Cusack’s Martin Blank character goes back to his home town for his high school reunion, which just happens to coincide with a job he was assigned in the same town, and he reconnects with an old friend (Jeremy Piven) and tries to get back in the good graces of Minnie Driver’s Debi, who stayed in the town since school and has since become a radio DJ. That last part is very 90s. And while Martin and Debi go to the high school reunion together and work shit out, Martin also has to deal with some dudes trying to kill him on the side. So for the ladies we have a love story and for the fellas we have a few action scenes. And Dan Akroyd as a competing hitman. Oh yea. The Akroyd.

Watch “Grosse Pointe Blank” right here on the Netflix and do so instantly!