Grosse Pointe Blank (1997 - George Armitage)
Martin Blank has returned to his hometown for the first time in 10 years to do a job. Just so happens it's his 10 year high school reunion that same weekend. He's been feeling some angst about his career as a professional killer, so he takes the opportunity to take stock of his life. While at the reunion with the girl he abandoned before the prom 10 years ago, he runs into an old female friend from school who just happens to have one of the cutest babies ever...
It's a wonderful scene for more reasons than just the adorable baby though...
Aside from his old flame, the babies mother is the first "normal" person he meets that night. She's just simply happy to see him and they fall into a nice easy chat right away. She hands him her child to hold for a moment and he and the boy stare at each other. It's not a stunning revelation for Martin, but he hasn't seen anyone this innocent in a long time. Perhaps he's even seeing something that's missing from his own life.
And then it cuts to this gorgeous side shot of the brightly lit face of the boy and the twinkle in his eyes...
2 comments:
This is one of my favourite films and I just watched it again last night. Enjoyed the two scenes you picked out.
Everyone always references the baby scene as the moment when Blank realises the potential of life and contemplates where his is heading but the genius of the film is that that happens right the way through. In the opening scenes Marcella tells him 'don't forget your identity', a line laced with double meanings, and the subtle references continue from there.
The fight between Blank and Felix is, as you say, very realistic and doesn't fit the tone of the rest of the film (which normally flattens its violence with comedy), as you say, deliberately to juxtapose the moment with the baby beforehand. The comedy relief for the audience doesn't come until the very end of the scene when Blank gets Paul to pull down a banner which reads something like 'Achieve All You Can', and promptly wraps Felix' body in it.
An awesome film - good picks.
Thanks for the comment...Yeah, the baby scene is part of his transition, but certainly not the only or even the central part of it. Wonderful moment though...
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