Monday, December 3, 2012

Killing Them Softly




As part of the annual rush to qualify for Oscar nominations, the Academy recently presented the film “Killing Them Softly”. I hadn't heard anything about this film, but it starred Brad Pitt, so I was curious.

What a marvelous film, written and directed by Andrew Dominik. It's basically a look at the lives of hoods and hitmen. It could almost be a stage play, it has so much dialogue. But the characters are so fascinating, and their choices are so weird.

The plot is about a high-stakes mob card game that gets robbed by two loser hoods, and then their capture and execution. In addition to Brad Pitt, it also stars James Gandolfini and Ray Liotta.

Probably my favorite sequence was when Brad offed Mr. Liotta in his car. It was all done in super slow-motion, and set to the 1950's love ballad “Love Letters (Straight From Your Heart)” by Kitty Lester. It's one of the most gorgeous scenes I've ever seen in a movie.

The only problem with the films is the ending – it doesn't really resolve, but it makes a political statement. Regardless, I give the film a B+.

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