Calling "Feeling Minnesota" a romantic comedy would be almost the same thing as calling "Raising Arizona" a comedy about a family.
And speaking of "Raising Arizona," "Feeling Minnesota" really wants to be a Coen brothers' film, especially the aforementioned black comedy and "Blood Simple."Despite the ads and trailers, "Feeling Minnesota" is not a fluffy, lightweight snuggler with Keanu Reeves and Cameron Diaz cozying up on the screen. Instead, it's a decent, but not great, darkly humored comedy with almost as many twists and turns as "The Grifters."
Reeves stars as Jjaks, the unfortunately named younger brother of Sam (Vincent D'Onofrio). Throughout his life, Jjaks has lost out on everything to Sam - in fact, he was sent to live with his estranged father as a child simply because "Sam came first."
Years later, Jjaks, a petty crook who's served time behind bars, comes home to help celebrate his brother's marriage to Freddie (Diaz), a stripper. It's not a happy event, though. Freddie and Sam's boss, Red (Delroy Lindo), arranged the nuptials as a Christmas bonus for Sam and to punish Freddie, who he thinks has been stealing from him.
Things get extremely complicated when Freddie and Jjaks meet (can you say instant attraction?). The two have a fumbling sexual encounter at the wedding, and after a second coupling, they decide to throw caution to the wind and run away together.
Believe it or not, that's only the start of Steven Baigelman's first feature film. Other subplots concern a murder and a disappearing body, a blackmailing hotel clerk and a double-crossing cop (Dan Aykroyd). Refreshingly, when you think you've got it figured out, Baigelman gives things a new twist.
For instance, after his mother (Tuesday Weld) lays a guilt trip on him, Jjaks steals a car and holds up a nearby gas station just so he can buy Sam a wedding present.
The script, which Baigelman wrote, is mostly free of stock smart-alecky dialogue, too. Most of these characters aren't exactly brain surgeons, and they talk like it, which gives things an air of realism.
Baigelman doesn't paint an entirely realistic picture of Minnesota, though, which appears in the film to be about as lovely as Cleveland. Then again, this film would only work when it's set in grimy surroundings, rather than an attractive suburb.
He also coaxes some nice performances out of his stars, especially the underappreciated D'Onofrio and Diaz, whose character is actually the smartest of this dimwitted crew.
Aykroyd, Weld and rock star Courtney Love, who plays a waitress, are also quite good in their supporting roles. And, believe it or not, Reeves' blank-eyed stare actually serves him pretty well here, but that could have something to do with the fact that Jjaks is kind of a dope. This is definitely his best screen performance in quite some time.
"Feeling Minnesota" is rated R for considerable profanity and violence, two somewhat restrained sex scenes and some revealing showgirl costumes.