Wilson proves to be a mesmerizing if unlikely serial killer, his flat, Midwestern delivery ringing more sincere than sinister, more Charlie Brown than Charles Manson. His voiceovers purportedly allow us into the mind of a killer, but what we hear isn't all that different from what we see. Vann isn't faking the nice-guy veneer, he is a nice guy, with this one little quirk. Clearly, this is not your typical edge-of-your-seat thriller, but the slow, dreamy pace is nonetheless entrancing. There are moments of intense grace and humor here, too. Janeane Garofalo breaks away from the smart-aleck mold to portray a postal employee smitten with Vann, and Mercedes Ruehl takes a compelling turn as his troubled landlady. "I like the detail of a thing," Vann says. "Especially if it's got a purpose." While we may not know for certain whether this film has a purpose, the details dare you to stop watching, even for an instant. --Brangien Davis

I had to own this movie- I found that it translated great on DVD in widescreen.


Sociopath on the loose   July 29, 2001
C. J. Hormann (Wellington, New Zealand)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

I must say that I had no idea what this movie would be like but found myself pleasantly surprised by both the story and the central perfomances.

A young drifter by the name of Vann Siegert wanders into a small coastal town and slowly people in the town begin to disappear - it's no plot spoiler to say that Vann is the man causing these disappearances - we do see the movie through his eyes. He possesses a disarming charm and kindness that people feel they can trust him, most notably his landlord Doug followed by his wife Jane and his co-worker at the Post Office, Ferrin. Slowly things begin to change and tension builds as Vann ensures that his cover is not blown.

While this probably doesn't sound too different from your average serial killer yarn, it is made more believable by spot on performances. Owen Wilson is a revelation as the drifter Vann, with the charm of a Tom Ripley, his drawling voice and easy smile, not once suggesting a killer behind it. Brian Cox and Mercedes Ruehl are both excellent as Vann's landlords, with Ruehl just topping Cox with a lovely understated performance not overshadowed by Cox's occasional histrionics. Finally, rounding out the main cast is Janene Garofolo, as Ferrin, and she nails her role as the co-worker who hopes for romance perfectly.

The distraction of Vann's hallucinations don't work that well but this is a minor discrepancy in an otherwise excellent film. With his work on this movie and scene-stealing turns in such movies as the otherwise awful "The Haunting", and "Meet the Parents", Wilson certainly shows he is capable of much more.


Underrated Movie   February 6, 2004
MZ (Novinger, MO United States)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Owen Wilson is fantastic in this movie, which I had never heard of until I came across it at the video store. It is not the best movie I have ever seen, but it is a very good flick, and I have to wonder why it was not highly promoted.

Other people that made the movie more interesting: Janeane Garofalo, Dwight Yoakam, and Sheryl Crow. The singers didn't sing, and the comedienne didn't crack jokes. And yet they didn't need to, because the acting was great all around.

The only part of this movie that I wouldn't have understood had it not been written on the back of the box was the two imaginary cops who showed up all the time. But unlike Mulholland Drive, this movie was not confusing on the whole. On the contrary, it gave me something to think about.


The Void is Between the Ears   June 25, 2003
Bruce Kendall (Southern Pines, NC)
17 out of 21 found this review helpful

Vann Seigert (Owen Wilson) has a little joke he shares with his friends: "I was lying in the grass one time and this spider came along and crawled in my ear. It came out again and you know what it said?" "What" "Nobody home." (big smile)

That lame joke sums up Wilson's character: banal, empty, a cipher, a void, a nil, a negative number, "a minus man." So what is it about this character, who is in every scene in the movie, that makes him so intriguingly watchable? It is the creepy acknowledgment that it is just such a nondescript, seemingly harmless, even likeable person who can contain such a world of evil within. "Don't judge a book by its cover." "Still waters run deep." The movie also investigates the theme of "the banality of evil," a topic that gained credence after the Nuremburg trials. Seemingly average people, with relatively benign upbringing and background, who are nevertheless capable of the most inhumane acts and who go about performing their atrocities in the most calm and matter-of-fact manner.

Van Siegert is indeed the Angel of Death. His acts are more often than not entirely random. There is no prerequisite as far as the selection precess goes. If you happen to cross his path at a particular matrix in time, you will be amongst the chosen. Captain of the football team, heroin addict, a complete stranger in a diner. It could be you.

Owen Wilson, with his boyish, broken nosed surfer looks and his goofy smile, is the perfect vehicle for this unforgettable character. The rest of the cast is splendid, but Brian Cox (the Albert Finney look-alike) is particularly adroit at pulling off a bravura turn as the manic-depressive head of the Durwin household that welcomes Siegert into their fold. This Emmy-winning actor should have been up for an Oscar for his work in this film.

One of the really intriguing things about this movie is the fact that, according to the IMDB, it marks the directorial debut of Hampton Fancher, previously best known as the script writer for Blade Runner. The guy has obviously been around a while and knows how to set up a scene and how to get great performances out of a cast. A most impressive debut, indeed.

For an offbeat, but highly rewarding viewing experience, give The Minus Man a go.

BEK