The Big White

Not a holly hunter fan but she is amazing in this movie, and what a cast I only gave it a 6 because it's a slow burn and they could have made it move faster but overall worth watching once Robin Williams gives another phenomenal performance and all of us MISS him...... especially now!!!!!

I guess you could compare this film to Fargo or Mystery Alaska. Its worth a watch of you enjoy a black comedy. It has some great slapstick moments and the acting performances and direction are all fantastic. The humour may be a bit subtle for some people but I thought it had great charm throughout. The story line may seem a bit similar to other movies such as A simple plan, Shallow Grave and Fargo but there was enough originality to keep you interested. The Chemistry between Robin Williams and Giovanni Ribisi really works and you can tell the director gave them a chance to flow and add lib their scenes together. Some of the visuals out in the snow and mountains are stunning too. *** Rent it, you wont be disappointed.

The theme of this movie is that people can't help but revert to being caring and polite. It is quite sweet to watch even abductors and abductees treating each other with kindness, simply because they forget themselves and act instinctively. A typical joke of this form was the kidnapper preparing a gourmet meal for his victim, and fussing over whether she enjoyed it.

It is not the wild crazy comedy you would expect of Robin Williams. It is more the nightmare of how a small crime is forced to escalate.

There is a lot of quite grisly violence. People do it without thinking, then later think better of it.

The Holly Hunter character is a complete original. She is a bit nuts, but very pleasant.

Even the young ditzy phony telephone psychic loves her clients, and gives them quite reasonable advice.

It does not tie up loose ends. You are always guessing why people are doing what they are. There is no Agatha Christie ending to explain it all.

What a pleasant surprise this film was for me. I ordered it via Video on Demand through the Time Warner cable system. They listed two cast members: Woody Harrelson and Alison Lohman. I love Alison (see Matchstick Men), so I decided to take a look.

Then, the opening credits begin and I see, Robin Williams, Holly Hunter, Giovanni Ribisi, and Tim Blake Nelson, and I think, Why haven't I heard of this film before?

Usually, before I order a movie with which I am not familiar, I go to IMDbPro to read a review or two. I chose not to do that this time. After seeing and enjoying the film so much, I looked at a couple of reviews and one person tore it up because it seemed to be too derivative of the Coen Brothers' work.

Ridiculous and Cynical nonsense.

All films made now are derived from other movies, or TV shows, or books. The story and the acting pulled me in and I enjoyed myself very much. I can see what the reviewer meant about the film having a Coen brothers feel, but so what.

Bravo to all involved.

The Big White focus on travel agent Paul Barnell (Robin Williams), and him trying to overcome his financial dilemmas. After failing to cash out the insurance policy of his brother, who is missing since 5 years and assumed dead, he stumbles across a frozen corpse. A new opportunity arises, but not without problems! While trying to get the corpse to pass of as his dead brother, Paul need to handle the two hit men (W. Earl Brown and Tim Blake Nelson) wanting their corpse back and keep one step ahead of insurance agent Ted (Giovanni Ribisi).One heck of a stew is cooking!

You can't avoid comparing The Big White with the Coen brothers' Fargo, since they're similar in style and story. Fargo, however, is better. But this film is far from bad, and it's not as black a comedy as the Coens-flick.

Acting and characters are wonderful. The script works perfectly. The pace is sometimes on the slow side, but not for long. The story is a mixture of love, comedy, drama, sadness and perhaps a wee bit of hatred. Good stuff for a movie in other words! You won't get disappointed by this film, unless you've got something against the similarities with Fargo. If you loved Fargo, you'll like this one. Perhaps even more. 8/10