The Bag Man

Finally you stopped using those stupid shaky cameras. Like I want to pay to see a movie filmed with the same quality as my kids birthday parties. Now you insist on having a bunch of action in the dark. Directors, find a way for the audience to see what's happening . Story has great actors, doing a great job with a bad script and clueless directing.

Another one of those movies that barely gets a theatrical release you find on-demand, "The Bag Man" stars John Cusack in another fine performance as a hit man, who goes against his boss, played by Robert DeNiro. I noticed that DeNiro is looking very much like Hollywood legendary producer, Robert Evans, in this. Now DeNiro had co-starred in the 1997 film "Wag the Dog" alongside Dustin Hoffman, who admitted he took his character's inspiration from Robert Evans, so I was wondering if maybe DeNiro was doing the same here- with the look of the character anyways?? Well, anyway, overall I found myself enjoying this little film. Without giving anything away, I did sorta predict the ending, however, the performances were decent enough I would recommend seeing this- especially for fans of Cusack.

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.

I usually watch movies based on their high IMDb scores, but movies like "The Bag Man" are why I sometimes dip down into the 5's and 6's. At first I was surprised to see so many reviewers call it "boring", "bad" and "nonsensical", but then I realized that this film just isn't for everybody, but for some--like me--it's riveting. Almost the entire movie takes place during one night at a roadside hotel, where our protagonist, a contract killer (Cusack), is meant to go with a package and wait for pickup. Only everything and everyone around him seem to be set against him. The characters he meets and adventures he has there are fascinating, quirky, and surreal. The best way I can describe it is as a mix between "Identity", "Mulholland Dr.", and The Book of Genesis.

I think this movie has gotten so many bad reviews because it doesn't fit the mold. It defies expectations, and some people won't like that. But if you're looking for something different, something that can surprise you, watch "The Bag Man". And try to vanquish your expectations.

Special props to Crispin Glover for portraying the hilariously strange Ned. My favorite character!

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.