The Road to Wellville (1994)

Tagline: A comedy of the heart and other organs.
Cusack plays: Aspiring cereal businessman Charles Ossining

Make sure you're not having your tea when you watch this one, because they talk a lot of shit in this film. Anthony Hopkins is Dr Kellogg (he of the cornflakes) who runs a health farm in the early 20th century to return people to well health through enemas, vegetarianism, anal yoghurt treatment and a raft of other procedures. Married couple Matthew Broderick and Bridget Fonda visit to get better, but find themselves recieving some sexual healing from other residents.

Cusack features in the parallel story where he attempts to start a company cashing in on the recent craze for health food cereals and ends up with Kelloggs wayward adopted son as a partner.

The story keeps viewers interested, although it keeps getting sillier throughout. No performance really stands out as particularly special and Hopkins bunny rabbit buckteeth are rather irritating. Fine for one watch but not repeat viewings.

Bullets Over Broadway (1994)

Tagline: A killer comedy!
Cusack plays: Playwright David Shayne.

After his small part in Allen's Shadows and Fog Cusack is rewarded with a leading role this time around. He is a playwright in 1920s New York forced to cast the untalented actress girlfriend of the mobster financing his production. Thankfully her bodyguard turns out to be quite a talented scribe.

I don't have any great love for Woody Allen, but this was pretty enjoyable. There's probably all kinds of intellectual stuff going on there that I won't claim to understand, but for story and humour its a good film. By god Jennifer Tilly's voice grates though.

Floundering (1994)

Tagline: A post-riot comedy
Cusack plays: JC

This was, so far, the hardest film to get hold of. I had to import the DVD from the States. I was kind of hoping that the billing and picture on the cover meant that he would have a significant part. But no, he's only in one scene. Grr.

I get the feeling this 'comedy' and social commentary was a real collaborative effort and the people involved enjoyed being part of it. But as a viewer, its not that engaging. John (James Le Gros) 'flounders' in LA in the aftermath of the 1994 riots, thinking of how he could help others and improve the world, but lacking the motivation to do so. There are a bunch of disjointed and often imaginery scenes with various characters in his life.

it feels very 90s, and perhaps had some relevance and meaning at the time, but 16 years on, its dated at worst, retro at best. I found the singing and dancing by cast and crew over the end credits rather excruciating. At least JC just nods along and looks cool in his shades.

Money for Nothing (1993)

Tagline: What would you do if you found a million bucks?

Cusack Plays: Joey Coyle, unemployed dockworker who finds $1.2 million which fell off the back of a truck.

If you are keen to see Cusack go blond and wear women's tights, this is the film for you! This comedy/drama is quite good fun as it follows Joey and his dilemmas when he finds a big old pile of cash. Obviously you would want to keep it, but its a crime to do so, the cops are looking for it and there's a reward for turning the culprit in. Joey's solutions? - get the mob to launder it, and try to stay cool. Hmm....

Also featuring performances by younger Benicio Del Toro, Philip S. Hoffman, and James 'Tony Soprano' Gandolfini (as Joey's big brother) this is certainly worth a watch. I particularly enjoyed John's Philly accent, and the scenes towards the end. It's actually based on a true story, with the sad postscript that the real Joey Coyle killed himself just before this film came out.

Map of the Human Heart (1993)

Tagline: Born in the magic of youth. Forged by the passions of war. Their love knew no boundaries.

Cusack plays: The Mapmaker

Another example of just how diverse the films Mr Cusack picks are. This film, set before and during the Second World War, looks at the life of an Canadian Inuit, as he grows up, in saved from illness by a visiting map charter, falls in love and eventually ends up flying planes in the War. The most memorable scene is some sexytimes on top of a blimp. Cusack plays a mapmaker who the Inuit relates his life story to as an older man, and so he only appears for a couple of minutes at the start and end of the film.

I thought it was ok, although I probably wasn't paying enough attention. After this run of little bit parts I'm looking forward to a real lead role from Cusack...

Bob Roberts (1992)

Tagline: Vote first. Ask questions later.

Cusack plays: Host of Cutting Edge Live.

Written, directed by and starring the talented Tim Robbins, Bob Roberts is a mockumentary of a folk singer turned conservative politician and his run for the Senate. It hits all the political buttons - corruption, slander and attempted assassination. Roberts former career means that there are plenty of catchy tunes to hum along to, and the (often dirty) campaigning through music is a nice touch. Look out also for a very fresh faced Jack Black in his first film role.

Cusack pops up for a few minutes as the guest host of Cutting Edge Live, the sketch show where tempers start to flare over the messages Roberts is putting across in his appearance. He's got a scruffy thing going on in his scenes.

The Player (1992)

Tagline: The Best Movie Ever Made!" - Griffin Mill
Cusack plays: Himself in a very brief cameo

So technically (playing by my initial rules) I didn't have to watch this one as appearing as yourself means the film is not listed alongside his other movies on imdb. But I did watch all of Broadcast News only to see his back and hear one line, so why not. Plus, I remember enjoying this the first time around when I went through an Altman phase.

This is a enjoyable satire, focusing on Hollywood Studio Exec, Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) who is being sent death threats by a writer he turned down. Famous for its opening tracking shot (7 minutes and 47 seconds!) and massive number of big names, either acting in it or cameoing as themselves. I think its worn reasonably well, for being nearly 20 years old, and I enjoyed it, although perhaps not as much as the first time round.

And Cusack? He's in it near the start at a restaurant with Anjelica Huston (as herself) and Peter Gallacher (in character). He has a couple of lines when Mill spots him. You can just see him in the trailer here...