Wick's Review

Summary - Very Good 3.5

Star power in service to dark humor makes Killing Them Softly an entertaining time at the movies, and will make it seem even more entertaining as an on-demand rental soon enough.

This second movie that Brad Pitt has made with director Andrew Dominik is crisply constructed and often funny, whereas their first – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford – was neither.

Killing Them Softly partly derives those qualities by ironically juxtaposing atmospheric sordidness with the political cacophony of 2008. So we’re subjected to incessant TV droning by Bush and Obama about the economic crisis, while wiseguys plot and bullshit in the foreground. The effect is to diminish both Presidents, a mildly surprising turn of events for a Hollywood Leftie like Pitt to countenance, since his man Obama sounds like one more gasbag in the big scheme of things.

Back to the foreground, Pitt’s überhitman sits atop a dark hierarchy of hitmen. He doesn’t like to get involved with his marks, likes to kill them softly. But assuredly, most assuredly. The movie’s fun is seeing how he navigates through the venal stupidity around him to reach those who need killing, which he does with what can only be described as grace and elan.

Star power like that is more than enough to make a killing with movie fans, softly or otherwise.

Acting - Really Great 4.5

Brad Pitt is on his third lap in Paul Newman territory – at once cool, deadly and devastatingly handsome. Spectacular facial architecture notwithstanding, Angie’s man can act. He’s King Cool for the 21st century – the complete moviestar.

A parade of wiseguy actors bob in and out of the action around and alongside him.

• Ray Liotta as a wiseguy too smart for his own good. As a rule, when Liotta’s in a mob movie, it’s gonna be good. May not be Goodfellas, but it’s gonna be good.
• James Gandolfini as an out-of-control hitman, distinctly different than Tony Soprano. As a rule, when Gandolfini’s in a mob movie, it’s gonna be good. May not be The Sopranos, but still good.
• Vincent Curatola as a midtier earner named Johnny Amato. Hey, didn’t he play Johnny Amato in The Sopranos? Nope, he played Johnny Sack. You got the Johnny right anyway.
• Yes that’s Sam Shepard in a brief turn as Brad Pitt’s senior partner. Watch quick now.
• Richard Jenkins as the closest thing to a Suit in this downsized Mob’s hierarchy.
• Scoot McNairy & Ben Mendelsohn as scummy dimwits with low standards when it comes to making money.

Max Casella sighting.

Special shout out to Linara Washington, the University of Chicago grad and multilingual Steppenwolf alum who has a bit part as the “hooker.” She actually gets a few lines and delivers them with distinction, demeaning though they are. It’s casting travesties like this – brilliant actress plays cheap hooker – that give Hollywood its well deserved misogynistic reputation. Hang in there LuLu Belle. Your closeup is coming.

Film - Good 3.0

Andrew Dominik’s film takes the CSI approach to murder visualization – super slo-mo, interior imaging of bullets going through a body, etc. He does it well, even applying it to a couple of junkies as they shoot-up heroin. The effect is to provide a sordid verisimilitude.

Edge - Horrid 3.7

Horrid criminals give and get savage beatings and executions. Other times they enjoy the “pleasures” of heroin, richly filmed in Killing Them Softly.

Then there’s the caustic misanthropy, often expressed as vile misogyny. Put it this way, James Gandolfini expressed some embarrassment about playing his lowlife character. This from the guy who played Tony Soprano. Capisce?

Reality - Glib 1.5

For the umpteenth time, Hollywood uses crime as a thinly veiled allegory for American society as a whole and business in particular. This movie is a particularly lame attempt. However it’s an entertaining crime movie, so even though Andrew Dominik apparently wanted it to be a commentary on society, sometimes a crime movie is just a crime movie.

• Feed
• Movies
• ViewLists
• NewOnDemand