A Simple Plan
Dir: Sam Raimi
1998
***
A Simple Plan has an intense but delicate story and is directed stylishly by Sam Raimi. Unfortunately though, the acting isn't very good in my opinion. Bill Paxton can't act, I love the guy and I don't care but he really can be quite wooden (he's improved greatly though). Billy Bob Thornton's character was far too close to his character in Sling Blade which is a little distracting to those of us who have seen it. Everyone else felt like they belonged in a Coen Brother's movie, indeed the far superior Fargo, made a couple of years before, is an unfortunate point of reference when watching this film, not just because it's set in a snowy climate but because of the nature of the story and similarities in directive styles. A Simple Plan was made a few years too late, some could say the book it is based on written in 1993 took too many ideas from stories that had come before, if it had been made in the late 80's and even up to 1993 I think it would have been more successful and fondly remembered. As it is it is generally forgotten. It's also woefully predictable but saying all that, I still quite like it.