Best Laid Plans

Best Laid Plans is an above-average neo-noir revolving around a young couple’s (Alessandro Nivola’s Nick and Reese Witherspoon’s Lissa) increasingly desperate efforts to pay off a $15,000 debt, with Nick’s old college friend Bryce (Josh Brolin) inevitably employed as the pair’s unwitting cash connection. Director Mike Barker effectively infuses Best Laid Plans with a stylish, distinctly off-kilter sensibility that proves an ideal complement to Ted Griffin’s expectedly convoluted screenplay, although – admittedly – there’s little doubt that the movie is ultimately a far more straight-forward affair than its set-up might have indicated. The inclusion of an impossible-to-anticipate third-act twist notwithstanding, the film’s noirish beginnings eventually give way to a more traditional thriller that’s undoubtedly anchored by the superb performances (Nivola is especially good as the harried hero). And while Griffin’s dialogue does occasionally lean towards the stagy side, the screenwriter proves adept at offering up a number of little touches that adeptly hold the viewer’s interest (ie that seemingly inconsequential forest fire). The conclusion is probably a tad sappier than some viewers will feel comfortable with, yet there’s otherwise no denying Best Laid Plans‘ overall effectiveness.

*** out of ****

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