In the mid-80s John Cusak was making it big. By his fourth
listed film on imdb he was in a lead role and on his way to stardom. Ten years
later he was at the top with some of the biggest hits of his career. Then after
the new millennia began his career dropped. The movies he was making were still
good and his acting abilities were still great. But the movies he was making
weren’t doing well.
For some reason of late Cusak has taken on roles in movies
far beneath his abilities. Most have gone straight to DVD. But in each he never
stops offering a solid performance in whatever role he’s given. This has
happened with several stars and I’ve never understood why. I’m left believing
that a lot of it has to do with ageism, a prejudice against stars who are no longer
their young selves. Rather than, as in the past, allow stars to age gracefully
and continue making movies with roles for them to be featured in, Hollywood
seems intent on featuring nothing but young new actors.
Had that been the case in the past imagine all that we would
have lost. No Bogart in THE AFRICAN QUEEN. No Cary Grant in NORTH BY NORTHWEST.
So many great performances would have not existed. Rather than a middle aged
James Bond we’d have had the latest teen heartthrob in the role. The thing is this.
When you see John Cusak’s name on the cover of a DVD the odds are these days it
won’t be as good a film as he’s done in the past. But his performance will be.
Which brings us to BLOOD MONEY. The movie is actually better
than you would think. Three college age friends set out for a river trip,
reuniting after time spent away at school. Victor (Ellar Coltrane) has remained
behind in their hometown working minimum wage jobs. Jeff (Jacob Artist) comes
from a wealthy family and is doing well. And Lynn (Willa Fitzgerald) is still
running, her athletic scholarship keeping her in college. Having had a leg
injury she’s still not on top but she’s mending and working out.
With memories of their past in hand they three best friends
head to the forest and river to spend the weekend, reliving their shared time
together. Victor still pines for Lynn, the girl he knew growing up with and who
he fell in love for. But unbeknownst to Victor, Jeff and Lynn have become an
item, something he will learn along the way.
At the same time their journey begins we witness someone
parachute from a small plane, dropping a package at the same time. The plane,
unattended, crashes and the individual and package are separated, the package
falling into the river. This is Miller (Cusak), a man trying to leave the world
behind whose path will cross with the three friends.
It is Lynn who discovers the package dropped by Miller, bags
containing $80 million dollars. Victor believes they should contact the police.
Jeff is willing to go along with whatever Lynn says. But it is Lynn who becomes
the most changed person when presented with the opportunity for all of this
money. Her greed takes control and like the figure of Gollum from the RINGS
trilogy she covets the money more than anything in the world. The contest for
who gets the money, whether Miller is able to get his money back and what each
is willing to do for what they want forms the basis for this movie.
The film isn’t just about greed though that plays a major
role in the proceedings. As much on that topic it’s also about desperation.
Each of the characters has some form of that moving them forward. For Victor it
is his hope of reuniting with Lynn, something that happened before she left for
college. For Jeff it is winning the affections of Lynn for himself. For Miller
it is the chance to take his ill-gotten gains and remove himself from society.
But it is Lynn who is revealed to be the most desperate of the four characters.
It is Lynn who is changed by the money more than any other. Just how far and if
she is willing to lose herself completely to it, moves this movie to its
conclusion.
Cusak, the heavy this time, does a solid job here while not
really being the central character. His part here feels more like a role he
took on to pay back someone of to get a paycheck. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t
perform well, just that this is not like past leading roles he would have taken
on. Both Artist and Coltrane do a good job here as well, making their
characters believable. But it is Fitzgerald who shines here. With each passing
moment this young woman who would normally play out as a victim in most films
becomes more frightening than that of what we assume to be a criminal and
killer. That she accomplishes this slowly displaying pieces of her character
one at a time is a credit to her skills.
The movie is definitely not a major blockbuster styled film
but it does offer a nice showcase for all involved. It’s also not a bad movie
on the whole and will entertain from start to finish. So if you’re looking for
something to rent this week then this one might not be a bad choice.
No comments:
Post a Comment