This superb film completely passed me by until I caught a trailer for it on another disc. The two minute long, condensed version made it look quirky, imaginative and original and I must admit that I didn't recognise Christian Slater before his name came up on screen. Welcome to my rental list.
If there's one fault with the way I discovered this it's that the trailer gave away a little bit too much of the plot. It showed quite a strong twist and left me worried that I'd seen the best part of the film before I even had the full version in my hands, but this turned out not to be the case. The plot is intricate and far from being a one trick pony.
Slater expertly plays the part of some kind of cross between Milton Waddams and Edward Norton's nameless Fight Club character, portraying a frustrated office worker, gradually being driven out of his mind by the tedium of his job and the pettiness of his colleagues. When he finally reaches the point of no return, events conspire to take everything out of his control, yet fate finally delivers him a winning hand. Slater gets the girl (Elisha Cuthbert proving she can act) and gets his life back on track... but we're only five minutes into the film.
This seems to have all the trappings of a cult movie. It doesn't appear to have had a massive budget, but it tells a complex story in a contained manner. The characters are interesting and it's unpredictable. I can't honestly find anything to dislike.
Recommended viewing.
He Was A Quiet Man
