Certainly not a perfect film by any means and often tacky and mean-spirited, this film has some very funny moments that are hard not to laugh at in spite of the details surrounding the humor. It also rounds a hidden body found by Robin Williams Oh, an Alaskan travel agent who uses the corpse to try to scam an insurance agency out of a million dollars by claiming that is his brother, Woody Harrelson. Little does he know that someone is already searching for the corpse, and not only does he have the insurance company owner after him but a crazy criminal as well.
While not a big fan of Holly Hunter's, I must say I guess she steals the film as Williams life who has Tourette's Syndrome. The way that she deals with the intruder criminal who holds her hostage is very funny, filled with some of the greatest one-liners I've seen in a modern comedy. Williams has an accent that goes in and out so that is rather disturbing, considering his comic genius, and Harrelson's character is just another one of his long line of Looney Tunes. The Alaskan snowy photography is of course gorgeous, and I must say that as a modern black comedy, I rated higher because I considered it a bit of guilty pleasure.
The Big White
2005
Action / Comedy / Crime / Drama
The Big White
2005
Action / Comedy / Crime / Drama
Keywords: murderkidnappingdark comedyhitmanalaska
Plot summary
In the middle of Alaska, travel agent Paul Barnell is near bankruptcy. Desperate to help himself and his beloved, mentally ill wife Margaret, Paul discovers a dead body and passes it off as his missing brother Raymond, whose life is insured for up to $1,000,000. Everybody is duped, except for workaholic insurance investigator Ted Waters, who sets out to expose Paul, in hopes of being promoted out of Alaska. Meanwhile, two rookie hit men, Gary and Jimbo, discover Paul took 'their' body and kidnap Margaret, demanding the body back. Then, Raymond turns up alive, wanting in on the action...
Uploaded by: OTTO
Director
Top cast
Movie Reviews
Sometimes tacky is just the way to go.
Could've been a lot better
The premise is nice enough ... another "Simple Plan" type of movie. And while I loved A simple Plan (by Sam Raimi),I just don't think this one quite achieves in replacing/follow in the steps of that movie, which is a shame.
But it still is enjoyable enough to like, especially Robin Williams is great in his role. The others play kind of by the numbers, but not that bad. It's just they don't deliver anything spectacular to the mix (in my eyes). It's also a shame that, the movie is quite predictable. If you've watched thrillers, at least one thriller, you know that nothing goes according to the/a plan. But it's a shame if you can smell or see where the whole thing is going. A few surprises do arise, but all in all it's mediocre, saved only by the bel ... I mean Williams performance! He's likable enough as main character for you to care for him ...
The Big White
From director Mark Mylod (Ali G Indahouse),I knew the lead male star and sort of the concept, so I was certainly going to try it. Set in an Alaskan town, travel agent Paul Barnell (Robin Williams) is down on his luck and in serious debt, and tries to get the life insurance for his supposedly dead brother Raymond (Woody Harrelson) who has been missing for five years, but insurer Ted Watters (Giovanni Ribisi) needs it to be seven years. Then one night, Paul comes across a dead body in a dumpster, and rather than tell the police, he takes the body for himself, and sticks it in his freezer. Then he puts all relevant ID in the body's pockets, and makes sure the face and most of the rest of the body is devoured by wolves. Obviously with Paul saying that this body is brother Raymond, he is expecting the life insurance to be paid to him, and it would come in handy for wife Margaret (Holly Hunter),suffering from Tourette's syndrome and nearing insanity. Of course, this plan isn't going to be without its problems, the body dumpers want their cut of whatever Paul gets, the real Raymond shows up wanting some of it too, and Watters is investigating the found body further. Also starring Tim Blake Nelson as Gary, Alison Lohman as Tiffany and W. Earl Brown as Jimbo. The film does feel like a Coen brothers film, there are some amusing moments, and the snowy landscapes are good viewing, but the story is a bit patchy in places. Okay!