The Settlement (1999) Reviews

• Solid Movie

  brianmellow2000-07-08

  I too enjoyed this film. It was just dark enough to make me question whether it was a drama or a comedy. I don't think this movie will ever make my top 100 list, but just as you cannot stop reading a good book, I couldn't stop watching this flick. It stayed within itself very well, which helped to make this a very solid and entertaining movie.

• A Luke warm flick which runs out of gas

  =G=2000-12-09

  "The Settlement" gets out of the blocks quick exploring the contrasting philosophies of the leads, builds its unique premise into a clever story, and then runs out of gas turning into a very ordinary "give me the money or I'll shoot" flick in the end. At it's best, this angry film, which showcases a mere four actors, is only lukewarm. However, with the midstream good-bad guy switch and the unimaginative ending, the film fizzles. At this writing, "The Settlement" is where it belongs. On cable.

• Another bull's-eye performance by John C. Reilly...

  moonspinner552009-02-22

  A nice surprise! A ballsy, unethical movie about ballsy, unethical people, but it's not a turn-off. John C. Reilly projects such amazing grace on-screen that it's easy to pass off what he does as standard. As an actor, he's solid, nonchalant and natural, and also very sexy (but, blessedly, not textbook handsome). Reilly always seems to have an extra card up his sleeve, and he's unafraid to be quiet just after racing through a foul-mouthed tirade. Here, he's in partnership with William Fichtner in a life insurance operation which is given a run for its money by a mysterious woman who says she only has three months to live. Low-profile film certainly afforded Kelly McGillis the best role she's had in years, and the twists in the screenplay are delicious. This went straight to cable. Too bad...it's more inventive than many other pictures which get a wide distribution. **1/2 from ****

• Terrific "black comedy".........

  merklekranz2007-12-15

  This gets a 10.0 to offset whatever misinformed voters took it down to a 5.0, and it is a solid 8.0 viewing experience no matter what. Anytime death is the motivation for monetary gain in a dark comedy, it is usually a winning combination (see "Eating Raoul"). "The Settlement" has a creative script, great chemistry between John C. Reilly and William Fichtner, and some of the darkest humor in any film. It's a scam, noir, murder, that delivers inspired dialog without any distraction from it's minor budget. Seek this one out if you admire true "black comedy". It most certainly will hold up to repeat viewings. As a matter of fact I can't wait to watch it again. - MERK

• An entertaining, unpretentious little film

  mdcapjr322000-06-14

  I love finding lesser-known films that I haven't necessarily heard of before. The beauty of owning a DSS with a full premium movie package is that these kinds of films pop up regularly, although for every one worth watching you'll wade through five that stink. I ran across "The Settlement" last night and was actually quite impressed. The gist of it: John Reilly and William Fichter play two guys who run a shady business wherein they buy out life insurance policies from dying customers. The clients get some cash before they die, and when they eventually kick off Reilly and Fichter collect the full benefit payout on the policy. Their business has hit the skids, however, and on the brink of bankruptcy in walks Barbara (Kelly McGillis). She's a terminal cancer patient with three months to live. For a $500,000 buyout she'll sign over her $2 million dollar policy. As this is a much bigger deal than they are accustomed to and since they are nearly broke, Reilly and Fichter have to resort to some questionable means to obtain the $500,000. Reilly's character wants out of the business altogether but has a family to worry about. Fichter is the single, shoot-from-the-hip sort who acts now and worries about the consequences later. He has to convince Reilly that this is the deal they've been waiting for and that it will solve their financial problems once and for all. Conversations between the aggravated Reilly and the ever-scheming Fichter are well-written and very funny. Barbara turns out to be something other than she first appears to be, and the movie takes off from there. It's well filmed and acted, and does a nice job of building suspense and the appropriate moments. The storyline is unique and made me wonder how Reilly and Fichter, who seem like decent enough guys, could have gotten involved in such a sleazy line of work. I gave it 7 out of 10. My only real complaint is that the ending seemed hurried and a little too serious to fit the overall tone of the film. All in all, a good flick and worth your time if you get a chance.