The Whole Nine Yards

An unexpectedly delightful movie about what would normally be considered a grim topic. After all, a wife hires a hit-man to kill her husband, and a mobster has unfinished business with another hit man. Their stories cross when the hit man, played by Bruce Willis, moves into the house next door to the husband with a contract on him. The plot twists and turns from there, with each development coming out of what has already passed, yet still surprising the audience.

There are some genuinely funny bits of physical comedy, particularly between Mathew Perry and Michael Clarke Duncan. Bruce Willis does his usual low key performance, yet shows a human side, especially around Amanda Peet.

Although several people get shot, there isn't a great deal of blood being splashed around. Who gets shot, why, and when, adds to the mood in a quirky sort of way. What's behind all the action turns out to be millions of dollars, and until the last moment we're left wondering how it's going to be split.

As is often the case on DVD's, there is some bonus material. I most enjoyed watching the movie listening to the director talk about what went into making it. There were all sorts of interesting stories about how they found the locations, how they came up with some of the scenes, and discussion of what was cut. I sometimes think these bonus tracks are a director's school, teaching would be movie makers some of the tricks of the trade. As well, they are also teaching the interested public more about the craft and art of making movies. The more I see behind the scenes of what goes into a movie, and what gets cut, the more I can appreciate the end product.

I've already seen this twice, once to watch it, and once with the directors comments. If I got a good price on it, I'd seriously consider buying the DVD. If you're in the right mood, this is a movie you could watch again and again, watching the characters interact with one another. It isn't Art, (with a capital A) but it's a solidly well done movie, with a good story and fine performances all around.