He Was a Quiet Man

Name: He Was a Quiet Man
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Romance
Released: November 30, 2007
Duration: 95 min
Rating: 53
Cast: Christian Slater, Elisha Cuthbert, William H. Macy

2007

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Mixed or average reviews based on 5 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Ratings

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7.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Mitropoulos Films | Release Date: November 30, 2007

Starring: Christian Slater, Elisha Cuthbert, William H. Macy

Summary: Bob Maconel is about to have a bad day. Another eight hours of sitting in a dull grey cubicle, ignored by his co-workers, existing in a world where he feels completely out of sync. On this particularly bad day, Bob crosses the line from potential killer to inadvertent hero and in the process saves Venessa’s life. This invisible nobodyBob Maconel is about to have a bad day. Another eight hours of sitting in a dull grey cubicle, ignored by his co-workers, existing in a world where he feels completely out of sync. On this particularly bad day, Bob crosses the line from potential killer to inadvertent hero and in the process saves Venessa’s life. This invisible nobody saves the object of his desire only to have her ask him to end her life. ( A Quiet Man Productions)… Expand

Director: Frank A. Cappello

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Romance

Runtime: 95 min

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Critic Reviews

William Arnold

With his Jack Nicholson mannerisms extinguished and his boyish features made up to look worn and aged, Slater also makes us believe and care about this guy. A movie this marginal isn't likely to get much notice, but it's one of the very best things he has done. Read full review

Scott Foundas

He Was a Quiet Man casts its own perversely funny spell thanks in large part to Slater, whose wonderfully shifty, beaten-down performance is easily his best in the 17 years. Read full review

Empire Kat Brown

An enjoyable satire is let down by a third act that juggles too many ideas for its own good. Read full review

Lou Lumenick

Initially shows promise, but filmmaker Frank Cappello (the early Russell Crowe vehicle "No Way Back") gets bogged down when Slater becomes involved with Elisa Cuthbert, a paraplegic survivor of the shooting who wants him to kill her. Read full review

Stephen Holden

By the time it reaches a weak, ambiguous conclusion, the movie has gone everywhere and nowhere, much like its psychotic main character, Bob Maconel (Christian Slater). Read full review

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User Reviews

ChadS.

Jan 19, 2008

Bob Maconel is a different sort of psycho killer than the one Christian Slater played in "Heathers" eighteen years ago. As Jason Dean, Slater did a pretty fair imitation of Jack Nicholson when wooing Veronica(a pre-klepto Winona Ryder), the good Heather, whereas in "He Was a Quiet Man", the Bob Maconel is a different sort of psycho killer than the one Christian Slater played in "Heathers" eighteen years ago. As Jason Dean, Slater did a pretty fair imitation of Jack Nicholson when wooing Veronica(a pre-klepto Winona Ryder), the good Heather, whereas in "He Was a Quiet Man", the fading star of 1990's "Pump Up the Volume" gives us his own take of a ticking time bomb; a white-collar Travis Bickle-type who fantasizes about mowing down his office co-workers. Indeed, the moment when DeNiro walks into that seedy motel to save(and impress) Jodie Foster in Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver", seems to be this sometimes surreal but ultimately uneven comedy/drama's starting point. Both men become accidental heroes, but only Bob gets to date the woman of his dreams. In the Scorsese masterpiece, Betsy(Cybil Shepherd) gets out of Travis' cab. The fluidity of the film's tone keeps you guessing as to whether Bob's new reality is free-forming or not. In "Taxi Driver", the music by Bernard Herrmann makes Travis' moment in the limelight seem like a dream. "He Was a Quiet Man" is not, by any stretch of the imagination, another seminal film about some sociopath. But it contains a good performance by Slater, who gets nice supporting help from Elisha Cuthbert(as Vanessa), an actress best known for playing the porno star-next door.… Expand

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DawdlingPoet

Nov 25, 2021

This is a dark, chilly watch. Ultimately I think its about being belittled at work and about a deepening feeling of loss of control. Its a tense and gripping film and it has some plot twists. I felt that Christian Slater gave a very good performance as the main character, Bob Maconel, whoThis is a dark, chilly watch. Ultimately I think its about being belittled at work and about a deepening feeling of loss of control. Its a tense and gripping film and it has some plot twists. I felt that Christian Slater gave a very good performance as the main character, Bob Maconel, who appears to be very much the average; middle aged, officer worker type. This is quite a memorable film and I'd recommend it.… Expand

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