I thought that I was desensitized. Having seen so many movies, I was actually ignorant enough to think that nothing could shock or disturb me anymore. Boy, was I ever wrong. Horror is my favorite genre and while this isn't a "horror" flick it is still pretty damn horrifying. Two things drew me to this movie. Billy Bob Thornton was the first. I have followed his career steadily since he gained recognition with Sling Blade and the man has not let me down. Second reason, Sam Raimi. He is an icon among horror film buffs and up and coming film students. The Evil Dead trilogy showcased his talents with the brilliant camera work and his somewhat warped sense of vision.
A Simple Plan tells the story of three regular guys who find a suitcase full of money in a downed airplane. Assuming the money is drug money, they figure that no one will notice if they keep it. The "plan" does start off simple. Hank (Bill Paxton), his brother Jacob (Billy Bob), and Jacob's idiot, loser, drunk friend Lou (Brent Briscoe) decide that to hang on to the money for six months. If it's not missed by Spring, they will split the cash between them and go their seperate ways. Things seem fine at first, with Hank as the natural leader, but soon all goes to hell once greed sets in and morals start to fly out the window. It's all down hill from here.
While the plot may be simple, what really makes this thing work is the characters. All three of the leads are totally believable in their roles. Hank could be easily be a friend of yours, Jacob could be the guy behind you in the checkout line at the grocery store, and Lou could be the town drunk you see walking on the side of the road.
This is a character movie. Simple story, complex characters and their reaction to a seemingly easy situation. Billy Bob Thornton became so devoted to playing his role, he shed 30lbs to play Jacob. You can tell that a lot of the pain you see in Jacob's eyes is not just acting. The actor has truly felt this guy's pain. Playing this role was NOT easy on the guy and (in my opinion) he should have gotten that Oscar.
Bill Paxton is wonderful as Hank. He has the look and feel of that guy (every town in America has at least one) who had so much potential, but never left his home town. He is the brains and the moral center of the three.
Brent Briscoe (Scooter Hodges from "Sling Blade") plays the part of Lou. Lou is the best friend of Jacob and the town drunk. Although many would argue that it is Jacob's fault, much of the trouble that comes their way is brought on by Lou's ignorance. He is a thoroughly annoying and disgusting character and Briscoe did a fine job with the part considering how likeable he was in Sling Blade.
I'm not going to give away any more of what happens. Earlier I described this movie as horrifying. It is. Why? The characters are all people we could actually know. No, this isn't a horror flick, but decent, ordinary people can turn into monsters at the drop of a hat. Disregard Leonard Maltin's review (with all do respect) where he says that the "transformation of the characters simply does not ring true." It does and I've seen it happen. The movie is, in no way, as harsh and cold as the book but the point is still made. 9/10
