The mad story of a true man.

In the early 1970s, salesman Samuel Bicke (Sean Penn) hates what he does for a living and desperately tries to repair his failing marriage, but falls deeper into a mental abyss. Few actors in Hollywood can match Penn and it’s hard to see this film turn out as good without his spellbinding performance. With small means he lays a foundation for his character’s behavior early on and the transition into Bicke’s increasing irrationality is smooth and frightening; Penn’s face tends to say it all. The story is based on a real incident in 1974 and is tragic and true to the period… although it doesn’t quite pack a punch the way Taxi Driver did.

The YouTube clip shows the trailer.

2004-U.S.-Mexico. 95 min. Color. Produced by Alfonso Cuarón, Jorge Vergara. Directed by Niels Mueller. Screenplay: Niels Mueller, Kevin Kennedy. Cast: Sean Penn (Samuel Bicke), Don Cheadle (Bonny Simmons), Jack Thompson (Jack Jones), Michael Wincott, Mykelti Williamson, Naomi Watts.

Trivia: Co-executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Alexander Payne. The story of the real-life Sam Byck was also told in the TV movie The Plot to Kill Nixon (2005).

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Published 2010-01-31 09:48