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| Frankie (Scoot McNairy) and Russell (Ben Mendelsohn) bask in the glory of their dirty deeds |
Written and Directed by Andrew Dominik
Starring Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins,
Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn,
and James Gandolfini
Killing them softly?! Lies. Nobody here gets killed softly. Their deaths are personal, at close range, and fairly bloody. But don't be deterred-- Eli Roth is not present here. The director, Andrew Dominik, even gives us a break, as there are only three on-screen deaths.
So why does this film still make me feel like I just marathon-watched the Hostel series? How does it inspire such deep-seated dread and horror in Jacob's little head?
Answer: Filmmaking, and of the highest order.
Killing Them Softly is a brilliant political allegory/satire masquerading as a crime drama. Don't get me wrong, it works perfectly as a thriller, but the ending is a metaphoric curveball to the face (haha, see what I did there?). Much can be said about the thriller aspect of the film (in my mind, unrivaled by any other movie of the sort from the last ten years), but what stood out the most for me was how Dominik handled suspense. Much like in Jeremy Saulnier's film Blue Ruin, the dark, gray visuals and seedy atmosphere of the setting (a recovering New Orleans) instills a sort of primal fear in the viewer. It just doesn't seem like a good place to be. That, coupled with the director's inherent brilliance in coaxing unease from the actors and taut apprehension from the camera, really elevates the film's sense of anxiety. The death blow is the undertone, commenting on the Bush-ravaged economic state and disillusioned milieu of the United States, especially that in New Orleans, victim of the worst natural disaster on US soil since 1928, as well as on crime and the (maybe) unexpectedly complex lives of criminals. The juxtaposition of the two offers a damning examination of the world of crime and social order in modern society. Some may argue that it is but a microcosm of said institutions (it depends on your political inclinations), but for me it runs deeper than that.
Best Line: (SPOILER WARNING)
Barack Obama (on TV): [on TV delivering his election victory speech] ... to reclaim the American
dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many, we are one. Driver: You hear that line? Line's for you.
Jackie Cogan: Don't make me laugh. "We're one people". It's a myth created by Thomas Jefferson.
Driver: Oh, now you're gonna have a go at Jefferson, huh?
Jackie Cogan: My friend, Jefferson's an American saint because he wrote the words, "All men are created equal." Words he clearly didn't believe, since he allowed his own children to live in slavery. He was a rich wine snob who was sick of paying taxes to the Brits. So yeah, he wrote some lovely words and aroused the rabble, and they went out and died for those words, while he sat back and drank his wine and fucked his slave girl. This guy wants to tell me we're living in a community. Don't make me laugh. I'm living in America, and in America, you're on your own. America's not a country. It's just a business. Now fucking pay me.
Rating: 5/5
Recommendability: 3/5-- some may be upset by the political undertone (Sorry, but it's the truth!), and even though the violence is sparse, the context and cathartic nature of its occurrence, as well as the realism with which it is displayed may put some viewers off (pansies!).
Legend
5: See it now! (Amazing/Classic)
4: Very good. I would recommend it readily.
3: Good/ inconsistently great..
2: Not good/squandered potential/bad but had one great part/etc.
1: Walk away and forget about this one/so bad it’s good.
