On G List of Movie Reviews
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The Gingerbread Man (1998)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
7/17, 3/19
7/17:
I don't believe I ever saw The Gingerbread Man before, but this is a nice surprise.
It's the penultimate John Grisham picture with the last one being Runaway Jury which came out in 2003. The reason
why is that John Grisham films were no longer bankable like they used to be. This is obvious because The Gingerbread Man
took in $1.5 million at the box office, but the production budget was $25 million.
Yet it's a damned good film. I love the buildup of suspense. Sure, the setup is easy to spot a mile away, and the plot is dumb
at times. Kenneth Branagh is absolutely terrific as the protagonist who digs himself deeper into a hole he almost can't
get out of. None of it would have happened if he behaved professionally right from the outset.
Interestingly, which happens often, the consequences for the damage wrought by the supposedly good guys are never administered,
but Branagh's character pays the ultimate price for letting his dick do the thinking for him. It's an unusual move and a
smart one at that.
What I love is the style. It's Robert Altman's preference of cinematography that's familiar going back to
The Long Goodbye and then perfected in Vincent & Theo. If not for it, The Gingerbread Man would have been
another been-there-done-that picture. Another strength is Kenneth Branagh's performance. I'm surprised by how good of an
actor he is. He complements the atmosphere well. The supporting cast is equally good, too. Robert Downey, Jr., is
impressive. There's neo-noir charm in what he does.
I didn't recognize Daryl Hannah. She looks different as Lois. Famke Janssen is fun, and I like her character over
Mallory Doss who's played by Embeth Davidtz (Helen Hirsch of Schindler's List). Robert Duvall is perhaps the most
disappointing and is less than what I am accustomed to, but that's okay. He's a good soldier, even
in a trashy way, for Robert Altman, having worked with him on previous two films: Countdown and M*A*S*H.
All in all, because of Robert Altman's brilliant filmmaking, The Gingerbread Man is an underrated mystery-thriller
picture.
3/19:
The Gingerbread Man holds up well and is even better than the last time I saw it.
Kenneth Branagh is a tour de force. Robert Downey, Jr., is wonderful as the seedy private dick.
I didn't recognize Daryl Hannah. Robert Altman's trademark of incessant zoom-in-and-out is unmistakable, going back to
The Long Goodbye and then employed again in Vincent & Theo. That being said, he's a brilliant director,
and that's why I love many of his movies with M*A*S*H being my favorite.
The plot is both simple and amazing. It's basic to the core of human element: men falling head over heels for women and
doing everything recklessly in the blind because of sex. Stupid, silly mistakes are made. That's exactly what the lead
character did, costing lives in the process.
All in all, The Gingerbread Man is one of the best thrillers I've seen.