Killing Them Softly (2012)
Genre: Crime / Thriller
Duration: 97 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Andrew Dominik
Stars: Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta and James Gandolfini
IMDb score:
6,2 (160.566)
Releasedate: 30 July 2012
Killing Them Softly plot
"In America you're on your own."
The film follows the career of Jackie Cogan. Cogan is an enforcer, and when the mafia rules are broken, he is hired. When a robbery takes place during a high-stakes card game, under the protection of the mafia, Cogan is flown in. Skillfully, with the efficiency of a ruthless businessman, a keen sense of people, and a style as cool as his gaze, he operates with reliable precision.
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Actors and actresses
Jackie Cogan
Frankie
Russell
Mickey
Markie Trattman
Driver
Johnny Amato
Dillon
Kenny Gill
Barry Caprio
Reviews & comments
De filosoof
-
- 2544 messages
- 1743 votes
Nice raw, dark mafia film that I liked: all very entertaining. The story isn't much, but the film manages to maintain a constant tension. The film has a cynical message that ends with (in the words Jackie says) and that equates legal America with the world of the mafia (with the financial crisis but also prostitution - even sex is trade - as a symptom):
“This guy [Obama] 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.”
Translated from Dutch · View original
Shadowed
-
- 11557 messages
- 6803 votes
OK.
Film that has a good start, but then weakens considerably. It is clear that Dominik is a director who can deliver a masterpiece, but for now this Killing Them Softly is not without its weaknesses. However, they only appear after 20 minutes, everything before that is good.
The intense atmosphere is well portrayed in the beginning. The soundtrack is almost absent and the cold atmosphere is palpable. It provides the necessary dose of tension, and since Dominik also aims for realism, it only gets better. It's a shame that the film gets a bit slower and more uninteresting after that.
Because once the plot itself gets going, the line drops. Pitt makes his appearance, but apart from the fact that he does a nice job, the character is not an interesting character at all. Neither character is interesting, which leads to a lot of excruciatingly boring conversations. Here too Dominik aims for realism, but it still doesn't work. The conversations don't feel natural and completely ripped off.
Visually, the level drops quickly too, except for some stylish shootings. Yet the cinematography is not always appropriate and the camera work is quite "normal". Camera angles are not interesting and the details are not completely on-point in the settings. Because of this, you never get a feeling that you have to be in a certain era.
Furthermore, it ripples on a bit, and eventually ends up at a relatively boring finale. Dominik aims for the right atmosphere, but never wants it to come across completely. The first 20 minutes were strong, but when it comes to the story itself, it's a lot less interesting. The fact that Killing Them Softly occasionally comes across as rude and harsh can't really save things. All in all, it's enough for a pass, but this film had much more potential.
Translated from Dutch · View originalLatest News
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