A Simple Plan (1998)

this movie is a bit like Fargo: rednecks try to scheme in winter land except that here it's not funny at all but rather very dark: the movie starts very well: this rural country under the snow is magnificent, the two brothers and buddy are original, wife as new mother is tender and the discovery is thrilling. However things deteriorate quickly (following wife advice) and tension between the guys gets up as they are breaking apart on their own! It ends on a nightmare and it's really heavy... So i suppose Sam did indeed a good movie as i wasn't feeling good and it's true that all the cast is excellent: Late Bill Paxton, Gone Bridget and Thornton has at least a part for which we can support him... and Cole as bastard as ever!

Maybe along with "Fargo" there could be a new sub-genre called "Red Snow Noir", referring to blood being spilled in snow-clad areas of the Northern Midwest or in the snowy mountains. The Cohen brothers covered the terrain in a straight noir film in "Fargo". In "A Simple Plan", the snow is also stained with blood but there's a bit more character development than in Fargo. "A Simple Plan" has many interesting parallels with both "Fargo" and "Of Mice and Men". The two leads are brothers, one with high intelligence, the other not quite playing with a full deck, like "Of Mice and Men". The leads are in over their heads and end up playing a dangerous game, similar to "Fargo"."A Simple Plan" as the name implies ends up not being simple. Three Midwest guys in a small town in the upper Midwest, two of whom are brothers, Hank and Jacob (Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton) and two of whom are down on their luck, Hank and Lou (Thornton and Brent Briscoe), are driving from the brothers' annual paying respects to their father at his grave during the last days of Christmas/New Years vacation. Lou was just along for the ride. They nearly hit a fox literally robbing the hen-house, and they decide to hunt for the fox. During their pursuit they happen upon a crashed private airplane. The pilot is dead but their cargo makes their heads spin. Within the plane is $4.5 million in cash in $100 bills.Jacob and Lou begin fantasizing what they'll do with the money, and how it will help them get of out of debt. Hank, the more mature of the three, believes they should turn the money in. It seems it's two against one to take the money rather than give it to authorities. Then Hank proposes a compromise, a "plan" if you will. He will agree to divide the loot on condition they don't divvy up the money until Spring. By then they figure that things will die down, and if no one claims the money they can take it and sleep at night. That's the "simple plan".Of course as the name of the story implies, things won't be that "simple". Almost from the get-go they are hit with a metaphorical snow storm. They agree not to tell their wives but when Hank brings the loot home, he spills the beans to his pregnant wife, Sarah (Bridgette Fonda). They decide maybe they should return some of the money to the plane to curb suspicion. Hank decides to solicit the help of Jacob, but unfortunately Jacob is a wild-card. Hank tells his brother he should move the body back to its original position in the plane, but in truth he's placing some of the money back. While Jacob is guarding their car pretending they've had a flat, Hank goes back to the plane wreckage. An old man comes by the car looking for a fox. He claims that Jacob should have seen the fox but Jacob begins arguing and thinks their cover has been blown. He then bludgeons the old man. And from there everything starts to get more complicated."A Simple Plan" is a good ironic title for a very compelling film but certainly not for all tastes. It's Gothic noir in the snow, and if there's any chance Red Snow Noir could be a sub-genre, this would certainly be a viable candidate. The standout performance has to be Billy Bob Thornton as the not-so-bright brother. He doesn't know when to keep mum about the plane and the money and keeps exposing little secrets about their doings to different people. Everything he does is in character. Thornton doesn't play Jacob "too stupid" but stupid enough that the characters keep getting in deeper in the proverbial red snow. His indiscretions will have tragic consequences. This is also probably the best character-driven film directed by Sam Raimi of "Evil" Dead fame. All around an underrated film noir which is worth a second look.

Hard to find any real faults with this movie, beyond the fact that it's a bit grim. Of course, you know from the very beginning when they find the money that it isn't going to work out well--the only question is how it is going to go bad--I don't want to say anything else to spoil the movie.Everything about this movie, from the filming to the acting to the plot, is strong. Yes, most of the characters annoy you or seem stupid or both, but they do so in a believable fashion and that is why we have a story--otherwise it would have been "happily ever after" very quickly and we would have no movie or morality play, and there would be nothing to discuss. After all, we can assume that we never actually hear about the smart criminals, and the dumb ones make for the best stories anyhow.

Maverick Filmmaker Sam Raimi has always impressed me, be it his work in the Spider Man series, Darkman or even The Evil Dead, his work has found its place. And with 'A Simple Plan', Raimi triumphs with A Razor-Sharp Thriller, that also offers superior performances by its lead cast.'A Simple Plan' Synopsis: When three blue collar acquaintances come across millions of dollars in lost cash they make a plan to keep their find from the authorities but find complications & mistrust weaving its way into their plan.'A Simple Plan' deals with greed, ambition & above-all The American Dream. The characters in here, aren't bad people. Like the film's caption accurately states: Sometimes Good People Do Evil Things. The characters aren't lovable, but they aren't the kind you'd hate either. There is a motivation & sadness attached to them, which makes them do bad things. But then again, A Crime is A Crime.Based on the novel of the same name by Scott Smith, The Screenplay, also Written by Smith himself, is engrossing. Its a realistic thriller, but the thrills in here, are for real. Raimi's Direction is crisp. His handling of this thriller, deserves distinction marks. Cinematography & Editing are perfect. Performance-Wise: Billy Bob Thornton takes the lead with a sterling performance. Bill Paxton is remarkably credible. Bridget Fonda is natural to the core. Brent Briscoe is impressive, as well.On the whole, 'A Simple Plan' is, most definitely, worth a watch.