Overrated and overhyped

Load of rubbish!!

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Dare I say this is a movie for adults and sensitive others about still another serial killer? Yes. As a thriller, this ranks up there behind "Citizen X" and about at the level of "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer." Owen Wilson is the killer adrift in a world of lower middle-class environments and jobs. Wilson has always been hard to categorize. He has an innocent look about him, a baby face, a high and slightly cracked voice, that with his pursed lips and wavy blond hair would suggest femininity, only his features are re-masculinized by a broken nose that does a couple of zig-zags down the center of his face.His character is a genuinely nice guy. He's generous. He doesn't have much money but he pays the bar bill of a drunken junkie -- just before he kills her. He's gracious and easily satisfied. When he rents a frilly room temporarily in the house of the mentally ill Dwight Yoakum and the distraught Mercedes Ruehl, he couldn't be more gratified. "It's just right!" He's industrious without being ambitious. He finds a seasonal temporary job with the US Postal Service, sorting letters behind the counter and going odd jobs, but he's so efficient and his character so unassuming that he's promoted to mail carrier.But he has this disturbing habit of offing people he thinks might hurt others, or at least that's as far as his rationalizations have got him. He doesn't put much effort into thinking about it and it doesn't occupy much of his life space. Violence is never involved. He simply mixes a bit of exotic poison with the Amaretto he carries around in a flask. The victim, who has done nothing to annoy Wilson, just drifts off into The Big Sleep, quickly and painlessly. What a nice guy. No kidding, every time something good happens to him his voice rings with wonder and amazement at his good fortune, like a child's.I didn't mind him so much when he poisoned the football hero. I never liked football anyway. My game is trying to roll over in bed in the middle of the night. But I was worried when Wilson took up with his co-worker at the PO, played by Janeane Garafalo. She's a nice postal worker and I didn't care for it when, out of nowhere, while she's perfectly willing to shag a bit, he starts treating her like rough trade. He's been nothing but an accommodating gentleman up to now, so where did THAT come from? Well, we don't know. Neither does Wilson's character. In fact, he's quite good. And so is Garafolo in her ordinariness. Dwight Yoakum, who is given to beating himself up, is properly pitiful. And Mercedes Ruehl as his initially unfriendly wife is positively superb. Her performances sizzles on the screen.I didn't imagine I'd find myself recommending another serial killer movie. They've become a genre unto themselves designed for cretins. But this one is different. The musical score is by Marco Beltrami and doesn't have a single electronic percussion in it, nor is it formulaic. Hamptom Fancher, whom I remember only as Sue Lyon's main squeeze in Puerto Vallarta, has directed it with skill, leaving puzzles exactly where puzzles belong.

There's a lot going on inside the head of a quiet, likable serial killer (Owen Wilson), but since the story is told pretty much without going into any inside information about him, we're left in the dark until the inconclusive ending. Nevertheless, some people will watch this all the way through without really getting it, because the central performance of Owen Wilson is captivating.He seems like a complacent, not too bright fellow troubled by hallucinations and unpleasant feelings as he tries to deal with his own demons. Nobody suspects that he's harboring a deep secret as a mild-mannered man guilty of methodically killing several strangers whose lives have touched his. No real explanation is ever given for his state of mind or his preoccupation with killing and how it started.The cast is competent enough but none of the supporting characters have much depth. They're all enigmas whose behavior is never satisfactorily explained. Perhaps the novel offered more of an in depth look at the muddled reasons, but the film seems to deliberately skirt all the answers while at the same time offering an interesting performance by Wilson that does involve the viewer in the unsubstantial plot.Not a film for everyone, it will leave some indifferent to the overall storyline and quirky characters.

I woke up in the middle of the night and knew it was useless to try to get back to sleep immediately. This was on. Yes, it stars Owen Wilson, who is definitely a minus man for me, but it was shown at Sundance, so I gave it a shot.It was certainly different. Not the usual serial killer type of movie. He also just arranged things and watched them happen. he never really seemed engaged in killing and he often fantasized about getting caught.So, why, you may ask, did he do it? Good question, and, no, I don't really know the answer.I did get to see Janeane Garofalo, so it wouldn't be a total loss. I was worth watching, even at 2 am.

Owen Wilson, the famous COMEDY guy, stars in this almost surreal thriller-drama about a different kind of serial killer who travels along the country to pick up innocent victims and poison them for their soul defects and obvious unhappiness.As you could suggest, Wilson is the highlight here. The storyline is very deep, but it never manages to top his impressive performance. The guy should do more drama. I never knew he was that talented until The Minus Man. Considering Wilson's undoubtedly successful career as a comedian, this movie is his art moment and it's not that famous. Too bad, because it's been almost 10 years and Wilson hasn't made anything like that. What a pity.Anyway, the storyline is indeed very deep and thoughtful, full of things you can't understand or apprehend at the moment. It requires second viewing although the "experience" element won't be there. It's a very emotional ride, but if you insist on receiving explanations for everything, you'd better avoid The Minus Man and pick up something like Ridley Scott's Hanibal. This movie is definitely not for everyone.I guess I could call it innovative since Wilson's character is one of a kind serial killer. He says "I feel like a light in the dark, they come to me like moths, because I shine". Vann is intelligent, quiet and friendly. He is the perfect "Good guy" who simply can't be suspicious. This is some terrific writing. I've never watch such a simple, yet incredibly complex killer-thriller.The Minus Man is highly recommended. Perfect dark, psychological thriller with almost no flaws, splendid music tone and high class acting.