A Simple Plan (1998)

  I was talking with my brother-in-law about 'The Quick and the Dead", a Sam Raimi movie he recommended (and I took that recommendation - it was a fun one) and it reminded me of how much I enjoyed Raimi's "A Simple Plan".

Raimi has a reputation for being a fan of camp, gore, fantasy-comedy etc - and "A Simple Plan" is a sharp turn away from these things.  (NOTE: It does have bloody violence, just be warned.)

A small-town family man finds himself compromising his moral code when confronted with the presence of $4.4 million in cash found inside a downed plane, the pilot dead.  Along with his brother, wife, and friends, slowly his principles erode, the pressure mounts, and the consequences become more dire.

a beautifully composed shot here.

I really enjoyed this crime-thriller a great deal.  The chemistry between Bill Paxton, his wild-card brother played by Billy Bob Thornton, and his wife (Bridget Fonda) is excellent, and the tension builds steadily with few drags.

 Have to give this one a solid A

(I tend to agree with all of Roger Ebert's reviews, and this one is no exception.)