Martin Blank, who is a professional assassin, is sent on a mission to a small Detroit suburb, Grosse Pointe, and, by coincidence, his ten-year high school reunion party is taking place there at the same time.
For John Cusack lovers, "Grosse Pointe Blank" is one of his best, an engaging showcase for his droll demeanor and a seamless blend of comedy and action. It's light entertainment, in spite of the body count.
Tackling the ravages of time with a rambunctious tone, "Blank" wraps emotional entropy and existential rumination into a clever, conceptual comedy that befits the '90s brethren like "Defending Your Life" or "Groundhog Day" alongside which it stands.
An entertaining oddity, an amiably black comedy whose bared teeth double as an engaging smile: It takes a satiric bite and leaves you laughing through the pain. For that, we can thank the writers.
Despite some early indications from the two Cusacks and Arkin that it's going to be funny, it winds up an unholy mess that becomes steadily more incoherent -- morally, dramatically, and conceptually.
