I’m so glad we haven’t thrown away John Cusack yet. Since brought to life by the imagination of John Hughes, Cusack has been a favorite everyman. I more readily identify with Cusack than any other actor. Now, that said, I have no idea idea what to do with him. His roles are all being absconded by Paul Rudd, because Rudd will go racy where Cusack won’t and he doesn’t really fit in as a (name standard movie profession here). Cusack isn’t a doctor/lawyer/politician/hitman (although he was great as a hitman, once, huh?)/warrior. He’s just a really likable guy. He belongs as a parent in John Hughes movie.
In The Factory, he’s a hard-boiled detective. Oh. Well, of course he is. Who wouldn’t buy hard-luck nice-guy John Cusack as the lawman who chases down a serial killer? I mean, besides me.
We’re introduced to Mike’s (Cusack’s) family at Thanksgiving dinner. Mike has invited female partner Kelsey (Jennifer Carpenter). There’s no hint of any funny business between Mike and Kelsey. There’s also a set-up of a loving-but-antagonistic relationship with daughter Abby (Mae Whitman). Abby is destined 
to be the next victim, of course. I’m glad we don’t soft-sell her personality flaws; barely-age Abby is having a sexual relationship with her loser boyfriend and the parents don’t know. She also smokes!
Meanwhile, Carl (Dallas Roberts) is collecting people. Some he kills. Some he keeps for sex. This part is sickening. Set in a show-beaten Buffalo winter, The Factory is based on a true story. I don’t know how much of this is actual truth, but even 10% makes me ill. Carl is building a family — a large family with many wives and children. He’s short-cutting the hard work of legalizing bigamy or becoming Mormon. Boy, will people never learn that anything worth attaining takes hard work and patience? Roberts’ resemblance to John Ritter didn’t help make me any less sick about this story — and if you think I’m spoiling this tale, you need to see it to the painful end.
The factory is more about sensationalism than quality filmmaking. I can’t really think of a part not miscast here (watching Cusack shake down Gary Anthony Williams for information was almost as painful as the subject matter), but that wasn’t the biggest problem — serial killer stories need to be sharper. Silence of the Lambs set the bar pretty high. Mild thumbs up because of the conclusion. Was thumbs down before the last ten minutes.
Snowfall adorns this thriller
As Cusack hunts down a killer
His daughter is taken
So perps he’s a shakin’
The police work here strikes me as filler
Rated R, 108 Minutes
D: Morgan O’Neill
W: Morgan O’Neill, Paul Leyden
Genre: HBO presents
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Serial junkies
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Those who wish to hold onto fond memories of John Hughes’ Cusack
