Being surprised is something that rarely happens in the entertainment business. Either someone has done it or is about to do it. For instance, take the two end of the world movies -- was it by chance or some other force that "Deep Impact" and "Armageddon" was released barely six months apart from one another? To make something different and surprising these days, one would have to consider the angle from which you are about to tell a story. This is the key to success, or failure -- depending on the uniqueness of your angle. THE MINUS MAN is an example of an approach that did work.

Vann Siegert (Owen Wilson) is one of those blokes who are always on the move. He would drift into town, get a job, stay for a little while and then move on. Or so it seems.

And this is where this movie totally blew me over. After the first few minutes I decided that this was going to be another relaxing, mellow movie; something in the line of last year's "Paperback Hero". Pretty little story with happy ending and all. Until you realize that your leading man is nothing else than a serial killer. A stress-free serial killer that is. An amiable one too, because everyone likes Vann.

Owen, renowned for his roles in "Bottle Rocket" and "Armageddon" is just terrific in the role of this very relaxed murderer who appears so 'normal' to everyone, but gets these urges to kill. He experiences visions of the FBI on his tail, but you soon realize that Vann being 'normal', is the one thing that people won't even consider him as a nutcase. He is the ultimate observer and totally detached from real life. The worse part actually is that you as viewer start to like Vann.

The irony in this is that when Vann ventures yet again into a new town, he lodges at a couple's house. Due to their marriage problems, they soon individually befriend and find some kind of salvation in him being there.

Compare this to movies like "Se7en", "Kiss the Girls" and "Copycat", one wonders how you can actually sympathize with a serial killer.

Two actors of interest need mentioning, because both of them are actually singers by profession. Sheryl Crow, well-known for her hits "All I wanna do is have some fun", "Everyday is a winding road" and "My favourite mistake", portrays a girl who likes to put the needle up her arm. Unfortunately for her, she meets Vann one afternoon and the result for her is everlasting. The other musician/actor is country singer Dwight Yoakam who never really made it big in South Africa, but in America is probably more famous than Sheryl Crow. Yoakam plays the part of one of the imaginary detectives Vann believes to be on his trail.

There is nothing outstanding about the movie itself, yet from the opening credits you'll realize that this is more than standard viewing. It is not a chase-the-killer type of movie forcing you into hysterics as the plot thickens, but rather a very objective view of what could go through the mind of a serial killer.

-- Jean-Pierre Pellissier