‘Grosse Pointe Blank’ (1997) Review

Grosse Pointe Blank Synopsis: Martin Blank is a professional assassin. He is sent on a mission to a small Detroit suburb, Grosse Pointe, and, by coincidence, his ten-year high school reunion party is taking place there at the same time.

Professional hitman Martin Blank is invited to his 10-year high school reunion. Having essentially been MIA from his hometown since he disappeared on prom night, Martin struggles with attending. No one knows what he does for a living, especially not his ex-girlfriend, Debi, whom he left behind in 1986 without a word. After coaxing some advice from his very reluctant therapist, Martin decides to attend his reunion, especially since he was given a brand new hit which just so happened to take place in his old hometown.

This was my first time watching Grosse Pointe Blank (much to my husband’s horror, who loves this movie and was convinced we had watched it before), and I have to say. I enjoyed it. I tend to enjoy most of John Cusack’s movies, and I think Grosse Pointe Blank became one of my favorites. It’s a fun mix of action, dark comedy, and romance set against a high school reunion where Martin is honest with his friends – he’s a professional killer – but nobody believes him.

Desperate to make amends with Debi (Minnie Driver), Martin puts off opening the dossier on his current mark, aware that he’ll have to leave once the job is complete. I found the chemistry between Cusack and Driver to be mesmerizing, and while they’ve been apart for a decade, I could still feel the history between their characters.

Driver edges into Cool Girl territory with a lot of charm. At the same time, Cusack’s Martin seems to be an older version of Lloyd Dobbler if he had decided to become a hitman – complete with the manic energy and kickboxing expertise. He’s as affable as ever, and despite Martin’s moral shortcomings, you can’t help but root for him. Dan Aykroyd is a brilliantly funny rival and antagonist, while Joan Cusack and Alan Arkin shine in more minor, supporting roles.

I found Grosse Pointe Blank to be a highly entertaining black comedy. Every time you start to get comfortably pulled into the romance, you’re jerked back to reality by being reminded of what Martin does for a living and everyone out to get him. The violence is never too far behind, and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the climactic shoot-out while Martin tries to explain himself and his feelings to Debi, who is hiding in a bathroom.

While Professional Killer isn’t exactly something to brag about, it definitely makes Martin a hell of a lot more interesting than the classmates he catches up with – nine-to-five jobs, marriages, babies… they may be craving the kind of excitement Martin experiences daily, but Martin finds himself longing for the settled life. And look, I know this movie was meant to deal with a 10-year reunion, but there is no way those people were in their late twenties. It would have made a lot more sense for this to be a 20-year reunion unless everyone attending Pointe High had a rough life.

This was one of my favorite movies so far this year, and I will watch it again in the future. Hugh Grant generally gets the Rom-Com King crown, but I think a case could be made for Cusack’s coronation.

Watched: 02/27/2021
Notable Song: Let My Love Open the Door by Pete Townshend