The Bag Man

It was pretty good, reminded me of a Quentin Tarantino movie with John Cusack instead of Travolta. Thought he was really believable as Jack, the bag man who gets in over his head and has to change the rules and turn the game around.

Robert De Niro was great as usual, this part was totally in his wheelhouse, playing the eccentric crime boss. Oh and Rebecca Da Costa was smoking hot! But seriously, she's also a really good actress and I could see her becoming a really big star after this. And it doesn't hurt that she's hot.

Maybe not an instant classic, but I'd probably recommend "The Bag Man" to friends.

If you like films like Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs than you'll love the Bag Man. Really good neo noir film with dark humor and a gritty, hip, edgy factor. John Cusack is great as "Jack" the hit-man assigned by Robert De Niro to look after a mysterious bag with unknown contents. Most of the film takes place at a seedy motel that's the perfect setting for an offbeat crime thriller like this. Very cool, and a lot of fun. Also, look for Rebecca Da Costa the film's mysterious heroine to become a big star. She's not only stunning, but also a very good actress. As a big fan of the mysterious Tarantino-esque films, I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a fun flick.

This was not a great movie, but there was plenty of fun stuff going on. I laughed out loud a few times, and had fun almost the whole way. Not everyone will like it, sure, but I don't see how it is as bad as a lot of the reviews are saying, and I wonder if those people had mistaken expectations? Like they thought it would be tense and gritty, grim and threatening? But it's not--it's a left-field black comedy with some tight action moments and--yes--actual character development. Maybe you have to have the right kind of sense of humor to enjoy it--almost nothing in this movie is meant to be taken seriously, not even the weird romantic tension that develops, and certainly not the eventually revealed backstory that drives the plot. I would rather watch 10 quirky, off-beat, low-budget indie black comedies like this than 1 (imho) flat-footed, ham-fisted, self-serious big-effects-budget film like ... Skyfall.

That is the "german" title of the movie, which sees Cusack as a lovable bad guy. And while he is doing some despicable things, he also acts in a way that makes the audience care for him. Just the fact that it is Cusack playing that guy/character gives him some points in that direction. Only Paul Rudd might have had a more positive resonance from the audience (and it would have been fun to see him in a role like this).

The twists and turns of the movie are more or less predictable, but the movie is really nicely done. There is also a scene (a "clash" of some sorts, that you know is coming), with some really intense and good dialog (especially De Niros delivery). The rest is OK, with a leading lady that would bewitch almost any (straight) male.

At the start of The Bag Man, you get excited to see Cusack returning to his hit-man- persona ala Grosse Point Blank. Unfortunately, the film is nowhere near the caliber it should be. This is a film that rolls in dread and tries to put a Tarantino-esque spin on an age old storyline, needless to say, it doesn't work. As you watch the film and get further into the story, the central question of "what's in the bag" becomes less and less interesting and appealing. Despite a flat story, The Bag Man features strong performances from John Cusack and Rebecca De Costa which keeps the audience intrigued, even if the story doesn't. Robert De Niro can play a gangster in his sleep, so I can't exactly praise him for his performance here. Although, it is Robert De Niro so any screen presence he has is still good, just not as good as everybody wants him to be. The rest of the supporting cast, such as Crispin Glover and Dominic Purcell are mediocre, at best.

Overall, this film doesn't quite work the way we want it to. It sags in the middle and then gets a pick-me-up at the end. It doesn't click like it should, which is frustrating considering the talent behind the film. The Bag Man wants to be the best Tarantino movie that Tarantino never made. Instead, it looks and feels like a cheap direct-to-DVD mess with an A-list cast.