It’s difficult not to like John Cusack. Sure, the guy has not made the best cinematic choices over the past few years, but I do not think it’s for want of trying. Cusack still manages to bring an easy-going charm to the screen, regardless of whether he’s playing a hero or a villain; and boy, he’s been playing a lot of villains recently. In a new clip from his most recent role in Drive Hard, Cusack reminds us that even as a villain, he can still be very amusing on screen.
Drive Hard features the actor in the part of a criminal who gently persuades a former race car driver turned driving instructor (Thomas Jane) to drive the getaway car in a $9 million heist job. When Jane initially refuses, as we knew he would, Cusack explains that he’s going to shoot him…and then proceeds to do just that. As this is a comedy, the scene is played for laughs, with Jane getting rather upset about being shot and Cusack nicely explaining that he did warn him, after all.
Based on what we see in this clip, Drive Hard is not going to result in any Oscar nominations; then again, it’s not supposed to. It’s just supposed to be a fun, silly action comedy, perhaps a little on the dark side, with two enjoyable actors. If we grant that Cusack has ceased to be dependable in his choice of roles, we can still hope that he has one or two good performances up his sleeve. While I might not be running out to see this in theaters, it looks like a good Sunday afternoon film.
Drive Hard is already out on VOD, and will come to theaters October 3.
