Grosse Point Blank (1997)

This entertaining movie stars quite a few well known and diverse actors including John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Dan Aykroyd, Hank Azaria, Alan Arkin, Joan Cusack, and Jeremy Piven. Martin Blank (John Cusack) is a former government assassin gone into business for himself. He finds that he is to do a job in his hometown of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. He is talked into attending his ten year high school reunion which is taking place while he is there by his secretary, Marcella(His real life sister Joan). While there he visits old haunts and friends and finds out that his house is gone, in it's place is an Ultimart and WHERE is his Mom?

This film gave me a lot of laughs. Joan Cusack's Marcella reminds me of....ME! So of course I loved her. Dan Aydroyd's "Grocer" does a hilarious turn as a rival assassin bent on unionizing their "occupation" and stealing Martin's "marks". Alan Arkin plays Martin's psychiatrist and Hank Azaria plays an FBI agent following Blank. I could have done without the love interest (Minnie Driver)as it really didn't have much to do with the outcome of the movie. As for the Jeremy Piven's character, (a friend from home)I just have a hard time getting past the fact that he seems like a jerk in real life, Entourage be damned.

Word on the street is that Cusack and Piven were once very good friends as proven by the fact that Piven has small parts in more than a couple of Cusack's films. I read however, that they aren't close any longer. Watch for two other Cusack siblings in this movie. His sister Ann plays one of the "Pointers" and their brother Bill plays a waiter in a bar.

Reviewed by request by my buddy Steve. Overall this movie is very enjoyable. That's what counts, right? I rate this movie THREE and ONE HALF stars.

I own it! See it.