The Bag Man

Plot synopsis:
Brutal gangster Dragna recruits professional killer Jack to pick up a bag and wait for his arrival at a motel. Dragna stresses that Jack is not to open the bag or allow anyone to view its contents under any circumstances. Confused as to why Dragna wants him to do such an apparently easy job, Jack presses for more details, but Dragna only reiterates the rules. While Jack acquires the bag, Dragna's henchman shoots him in the hand, and Jack stuffs the body in his car's trunk. Dragna is unsympathetic when Jack calls him and instructs Jack to stick to the plan.
At the motel, Jack meets several people: Ned, the wheelchair-bound desk clerk; Rivka, a tall hooker; and Lizard and Guano, a pair of pimps. Jack requests room number thirteen, and Ned cautions him that it is a deathtrap, as it is unconnected. When two suited men become curious about Jack, he abruptly breaks into their room and kills both. A subsequent search reveals FBI badges and a briefcase. Jack sets the briefcase aside and leaves to dump the corpse stored in his car. He returns once he is spotted, only to discover that Rivka has broken into his room; fearful that Lizard will kill her, she requests that he allow her to stay.
Jack initially demands that she leave, then detains her when he cannot be sure whether she opened the bag. Rivka points out that the briefcase contains a photo of the bag, and Jack becomes worried that others may attempt to acquire it. When Jack attempts to drive Rivka to a bus station, she spots the corpse in the back of his car. Lizard and Guano first question Jack about Rivka; later, on the road, they attack him. On their corpses he finds another photo of the bag; unsure what to do with Rivka, or of her involvement, he returns to the hotel with her to await Dragna's arrival.
Ned becomes suspicious that Jack has a guest in his room, and he calls the sheriff when Jack refuses to pay the double occupancy fee. Sheriff Larson briefly questions Jack, and, after Larson leaves, Jack threatens Ned. Increasingly worried about the safety of the bag, Jack buries it near the motel, only to be caught by Ned, who is now out of his wheelchair. Jack kills Ned and returns to the motel, where Larson arrests him under suspicion of Ned's disappearance.
As Larson prepares to torture Jack for information, Rivka shows up. Larson threatens to rape her, but she overpowers a deputy and frees Jack, who then kills Larson. When Rivka demonstrates detailed knowledge of the bag, Jack becomes suspicious of her again, but she points out that she has saved his life. Somewhat mollified, he retrieves the bag and waits in room fourteen. Dragna finally appears, disappointed in Jack's apparent lack of trust. Nonetheless satisfied that Jack has not looked in the bag, Dragna explains that the whole situation was a test of Jack's skills and character, as he doubted Jack's resolve in the wake of Jack's fiancee's unsolved murder some months earlier. The motel and the local cops are all on Dragna's payroll, and were all (unwittingly) part of the test.
As Dragna prepares to leave, Rivka spontaneously tells Jack that she looked in the bag. Frustrated, Jack points out that Dragna will now kill them both. Jack dutifully reports Rivka's action to Dragna, who orders her killed. Jack instead kills Dragna's bodyguard, who wounds Rivka. Jack hunts down Dragna, and both are wounded. Jack looks in the bag; it contains the head of his fiancee, whom Dragna had killed in order to prevent Jack from quitting the murder-for-hire business. Trying to persuade Jack to surrender, Dragna destroys the hotel (where Rivka supposedly is) with remote-detonated explosives. Moments later, Rivka appears and saves Jack by killing Dragna, but she is shot again. Later, in Dragna's lawyer's office, Rivka reveals herself as Dragna's mistress and personal assassin who was sent to the motel to ensure things went Dragna's way. She collects a five million dollar reward for Jack's assassination, and she and Jack drive off together.

Tags: murder, flashback

Review:
I rented from a Red Box and I feel cheated at $1.20 Sorry for being so harsh about this film, but when proved actors whom I regularly pay theater prices to see work make a movie like this it's jarring to my artistic sensibility.
Despite a flat story, The Bag Man features strong performances from John Cusack and Rebecca De Costa which keeps the audience intrigued, even if the story doesn't.
I can't wrap my mind around why he does such horrible films these days like The Bag Man, The Big Wedding, Last Vegas(Hangover on Viagra), Killing Season,Grudge Match.
As far as the Bag Man goes, the story was sloppy, acting was mediocre and thats because the script was bad not the actors, cinematography was a lot of dark lighting, and the music had that ominous CSI random guitar solo feel to it.
If you like films like Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs than you'll love the Bag Man. Really good neo noir film with dark humor and a gritty, hip, edgy factor.
John Cusack is great as "Jack" the hit-man assigned by Robert De Niro to look after a mysterious bag with unknown contents.
Most of the film takes place at a seedy motel that's the perfect setting for an offbeat crime thriller like this.
It was pretty good, reminded me of a Quentin Tarantino movie with John Cusack instead of Travolta.
Thought he was really believable as Jack, the bag man who gets in over his head and has to change the rules and turn the game around.Robert De Niro was great as usual, this part was totally in his wheelhouse, playing the eccentric crime boss.
As the motivations become apparently, it becomes increasingly obvious that it's just bad writing.John Cusack is playing a role reminiscent of his character in "Identity", which unfortunately was another bad movie.
And, after watching the film, I could easily understand why the scores varied so widely.The Bag Man begins with a scary mobster-type guy, Dragna (Robert De Niro—sporting a really bizarre hairdo), asking one of his minions, Jack (John Cusack) to retrieve a bag for him.
However, I doubt if most folks would stick with this one, as it's light on plot and pretty much just one brutal scene after another after another.While I did not enjoy this film in the least, at least it's an improvement for John Cusack because at least he is not playing Richard Nixonlike he did in last year's The Butler.
Gritty, dark, moody, and somewhat offbeat, The Bag Man is an engaging crime thriller with a cast headed up by Robert De Niro and John Cusack.
Equal parts Fifties film noir and Nineties hipster gangster film, the action in The Bag Man takes place around a seedy Louisiana motel in the middle of the night.
John Cusack puts in a solid performance as the actual bag man while De Niro only appears for about 15 minutes but absolutely owns his performance as a ruthless, yet charmingly cultured crime boss.
The premise – get the bag, bring it to the motel, don't look inside, wait for the money – is simple, but effective enough to drive the story which has clever plot twists and bursts of over the top action..
The Bag Man is a modern day film noir crime story which is a great showcase for John Cusack as "Jack" the bagman, assigned to look after a mysterious leather satchel while hiding out at a seedy motel.
Robert De Niro plays his crime boss and looks interesting with a silver pompadour, a la Paulie from the Sopranos.The movie is definitely more sophisticated than a generic crime thriller with De Niro's character quoting Herman Hesse and Sun Tzu. The motel Cusack hides out in is also filled with odd characters like the desk clerk played by Crispin Glover, a Serbian dwarf and a pimp with an eye patch.
The tension of not knowing what's in the bag works very well and there's also lots of good action.All in all, The Bag Man was a pretty enjoyable ride and had an offbeat sensibility that reminded me of the Coen brothers..
Robert De Niro plays an intellectual crime boss and it was great to see him back in a tough, wiseguy role after all the comedic "Meet the Fockers" type films he seems to be stuck in lately.John Cusack also steps outside of his usual range to play "Jack" a bad guy with a noble streak.
He was surprisingly convincing as ill-tempered Jack and his performance was a reminder of his range, since like De Niro, he seems to get stuck in light comedy roles lately.Rebecca De Costa shines as "Rivka" the femme fatale.
The Plot.A professional shooter gets a new job from his boss.The job is simple to bring him a bag without opening it.But everyone on this town wants that bag.So Jack has to protect the bag and try to carry out his mission.In this city he will meet a lot of people and he will seduced by mysterious woman.Why didn't he give up the FIRST time his boss hung up on him> Because this horrible movie is weird for weird sake.Not one frame is believable.It sucks.
There's a specific atmosphere in this movie, so dark and interesting, the characters are weird, well-developed, there's a constant feeling of suspense, I liked it a lot.The production design and art direction are extraordinary.
John Cusack is on fine form as the titular bag man and the supporting cast, with notable turns from Dominic Purcell and Robert DeNiro (the best I've seen him in years) massively contribute to make this a very memorable movie.There is a fair bit of violence in this film and when shown it is done with impact and it is not of the cartoon variety or with over the top gore.
Robert De Niro is perfect as the gangster boss who dispatches John Cusack to bring back a mysterious bag and lay low in a seedy motel.
Tension is interspersed with bursts of action and I'll admit the movie was fairly violent at times which might turn some off, but the it really gave an intensity to the film that I think is necessary.
The plot surrounding the mysterious "bag" John Cusack has to look after was filled with tension.
All in all, the Bag Man had everything I look for in a crime thriller, tension, action, strong characters, and a sexy chic.
Okay, you already know if you read the storyline that this movie revolves around a hit man, and a mystery bag he is sent to fetch.
There's a whole lot of bad people that want that bag, and the mystery and suspense builds as we meet more and more of them.What's in that damn bag???!!!The acting was good, and kept you in the movie.
I thought that John Cusack and Rebecca Da Costa did wonderful jobs in their roles--gritty and believable.
His character has diarrhea of the mouth and is a little annoying, however no one else could have done him better.This movie is full of action, suspense, and is worth the watch to find out if you'll ever know what's in that bag!.
This is absolutely a very claustrophobic movie and it's a great action film with snappy dialogue.
If you are planning for entertaining and brilliant concept movie prefer The Bag Man. Almost every character has secrets or hidden motives; they would not like to see the light of day.
I really dug the neo-Film Noir vibe although the movie was so dark sometimes it was kind of hard to see what was going on in some scenes.
He was really convincing in this part and it was a nice change from the kind of light comedy roles he always seems to play.Anyway, great movie, lots of fun to watch and loved all the bizarre characters who inhabit this little motel.
A moody, neo noir thriller, set in a dark and stormy motel, The Bag Man was captivating and tense from beginning to end.
There were strong performances from the actors, both John Cusack and De Niro were well cast and had a great chemistry, with De Niro as the boss and Cusack as the bag man.
I would not be surprised if that movie would become a cult movie in the future.It's not like a big entertaining Hollywood movie like Titanic, those kinds of movies that happen once a year and I got motion sickness and needed to barf into my popcorn bag when the ship plunged into the oceangreat special effects only appreciable on a big theater movie screen.When I saw Earthquake (1974) as a teen, unbeknownst to people, the movie theater seats were rigged to shake when the earthquake in the movie would suddenly hit Some people started screaming as Paris is not California and we have zero experience with earthquakes.
He's going over the top to play a stupid, ugly, mean character and he does a good job at it that will surely be unappreciated by the populace.Even John Cusack having the most dreamy, innocent eyes is wearing sunglasses on a private plane at night!!
Another one of those movies that barely gets a theatrical release you find on-demand, "The Bag Man" stars John Cusack in another fine performance as a hit man, who goes against his boss, played by Robert DeNiro.
The Bag Man is a movie that not only makes you think but can start a whole conversation with what you just saw on the screen.
Between the performances, the story, the sounds, the editing and the incredible effects, I would love to watch this movie over and over again, it's my favorite film of 2014..
The level of expectations for The Bag Man is too high and all the characters of film full filled it more than enough.
"The Bag Man is my favorite action movie ever, MUST SEE!
Moments from a few characters (especially main characters) help drive the emotional aspect like John Cusack, Robert De Niro, and Rebecca Da Costa.
John Cusack is always amazing, apart from him, Robert De Niro and Rebecca Da Costa also did appreciable work..
The Bag Man is amazing prototype for the modern action film.
Since it's also one of the best action thriller films ever made, that happens to be a very good thing.
The direction, the action, the story, the acting every aspect of this film comes close to big-budget action movie perfection.
John Cusack is excellent, it's always great to see him play an extremely different type of character that is out of his usual comfort zone and clearly shows he still loves his job.
"The bag man" started an entire genre of action suspense thriller movies.
We loved the mystery bag suspense at all time in the movie.
The film is considerably composed, both story wise and dialogue.Another area that is worth mentioning in The Bag Man is the acting.
I like the action thriller suspense movies so much.
I like the action thriller suspense movies so much.
The star is John Cusack and "The Bag Man" is the film that spawned one of the most successful trilogies.All cast of this movie was awesome and right peoples they were select for the movie.
With John Cusack starring and a few other well known actors I had a feeling this movie would be interesting.
The Bag Man is about John Cusack transporting a mysterious bag that he is not supposed to look in, then wait at a seedy motel in the middle of no where, where he will get paid for his services.Seems like a simple concept for a movie, however, many unique characters enter the scene to try to steal the bag for themselves.
John and this girl, Rebecca Da Costa, they both team up to fend off anyone who is trying to steal the bag which seems like everyone that is around this motel even the cops.The acting is decent enough to hold the movie together.
I recommend this movie to John Cusack fans and many others, it is a nice movie to watch at home, maybe not the best date movie unless she enjoys this kind of style!Till next time, don't wear a man bag.Jason Lucas Facebook - THOUGHTS OF A MOVIE ADDICT.
This movie is worth a watch; all the characters have performed amazingly well and earn great deal of appreciation.
The cast is also good John Cusack and Robert De Niro everyone knows them.
Review: This movie starts off intriguing but then it goes downhill once Jack (John Cusack), reaches the hotel, where most of the film is based.
Anyway, I'm obviously not alone by saying that this movie really wasn't that great, judging by the movies takings but I really doubt that it will damage Cusack or DeNiro's reputation.Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $462,000 (Terrible!)I recommend this movie to people who are into their crime/drama/thrillers about a hit-man who has to collect a bag for his crime boss but he's not allowed to look in the bag, regardless of the circumstances.
So depending on one's preference, The Bag Man might be too strange, too scripted or it might be a fascinating interplay of strangeness that results in a totally exciting American version of puzzling violence with an odd sense of twisted morality.The presentation in another mystery thriller gets even better in Residue (2017)..
John Cusack stars and no matter the role or the film, he's always fun to watch.
I admire anything John Cusack does, De Niro is always terrific as a gangster, and if nothing else, The Bag Man is unique, but not for it's story.
De Niro role is a gangster who has crazy quotes and demands that John Cusack retrieves a bag for him without looking inside..
I really liked the neo-Film Noir vibe although the movie was so dark sometimes it was kind of hard to see what was going on in some scenes (although it added to the suspense!).
Interesting casting with John Cusack as "The Bag Man." I like seeing him step out of his usual light comic roles and playing it more straight.
Interesting casting with John Cusack as "The Bag Man." I like seeing him step out of his usual light comic roles and playing it more straight.
The film is a must watch and everyone is definitely starting to love it because it is a complete entertainment package and worth dedicating time on this movie.
I loved the film, it works well as a 'feel good movie', some of the scenery is great and there are some wonderful shots.
"The Bag Man" is a film that defined an action thriller movies drama.
The Bag Man is a great action/thriller movie.
In The Bag Man Movie every character is a well performed and play such a nice role.
But they didnt get what they paid for: mindless entertainment.The story is simple: John Cusack plays a criminal who is ordered by crime boss Robert de Niro to transport a bag to a motel.
All the supporting actors are excellent.The flow of the movie is good although slow, which I like, because there are lots of scenes in which characters get time to interact with eachother on a real life like level.The story is very suspensefull till the end.
You would think that a movie with an interesting cast should made a better movie than The Bag Man. The story is long and going nowhere at some point.
The Bag Man was an intriguing whodunit with an excellent script and believable performances from its two stars Robert De Niro and John Cusack.
An interesting take on the gun-toting crime thriller, "The Bag Man" stars John Cusack as "Jack" the hired gun who must look after a mysterious bag for Robert De Niro the crime boss with a tendency to quote literature.
The offbeat, eccentric nature of the film suggests that writer/director David Grovic is a fan of film's like the Coen Brothers "Blood Simple" or Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction." Set in a seedy, rundown motel, the movie is filled with tension and has great action sequences.
John Cusack stars as Jack a hit-man assigned to look after a mysterious bag by Robert De Niro who plays Dragna the crime lord.
The Bag Man is a slow burn at times but I found it engaging and fans of intelligent crime stories are sure to like this movie..
The Bag Man's premise and execution are all wholly unbelievable yet it's all played and directed in such a way that it all works to a low level of entertainment.John Cusack and his humongous mullet have fun with a role that is all types of generic in the form of hit-man/sad sack Jack and relative newcomer Da Costa isn't completely wasted as street girl with a conscience Rivka but it's in the supports of Crispin Glover and De Niro that the film has some of its most wacky and memorable moments.
And while Rebecca Da Costa was smoking hot, she's also a really good actress and I could see her becoming a star in her own right.Maybe not an instant classic, but I'd probably recommend "The Bag Man" to friends.
I watched this movie last night THE BAG MEN had every thing I look for in a crime, thriller, tension, action, strong characters, and a sexy chic.
Overall I thought The Bag Man was a stylish thriller with good action and an engaging plot..
Loved the Bag Man and John Cusack is always one of my favs.
John Cusack stars as a kind of anti-hero hit-man entrusted to guard a mysterious bag by a crime boss played by Robert De Niro.
Overall the Bag Man was a good crime story filled with interesting plot twists and interesting characters..
Overall, The Bag Man was a really great movie.
The Bag Man is a movie I'd recommend to true film lovers who enjoy a good crime thriller every now and again.