It's either a really good, or really bad, time to be an Aussie and in the "Crime Film Makin' Business" with the Killing Them Softly (from the maker of Chopper) and Lawless (the maker of The Proposition) opening against each other at the box office. Both films, while set decades apart feel like part of the same film - so it will be interesting to see which fares better (or if crime lovers will just opt for a double dose at the cinemas).
Again, it's a film about crime from an Aussie and in a strange way acts as something of a sister film to Lawless, just as Jesse James and The Proposition felt like they were part of the same world too.
Killing Them Softly opts for a more modern approach to the criminal underworld, taking us into the world of small time heists and executions via corporations.
After an illegal card game is held up, in a time where the GFC is taking hold of the economy both above and below, the mafia calls in enforcer Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt) to fix the situation.
Navigating between his indecisive crime bosses and the dim witted lowlifes behind the heist, Cogan moves to restore order, and protect his interests before the situation spirals out of control.
What makes this film so interesting is not the story it's telling at the forefront, but what is being told beneath the surface.
The political race and GFC crumble is a prominent narrative throughout the entire film, for good reason too. The events and characters appearing throughout this small time crime tale can all be directly parrelled with the larger scale crime that played out across the world... the GFC and all involved with it.
From the faceless "government by commitee" to the helpless "hired goons" sent in as patsies (again, it's no coincidence an Australian is involved), to the heavy hitter addicted to drinks and women being set up for a fall, to the silent hero expected to come in and clean up the mess only to be shortchanged.
It's as blunt and heavy handed a subtext as you are going to come across, but it gives the film layers that without which would leave you feeling somewhat underwhelmed with the fairly basic facade of a front story on offer.
While the crime at hand is small time, the performances are anything but. It's a whose who of the mafia-movie world, with James Gandolfini (giving yet another fine "breathe only through the nose" performance) and Ray Liotta doing what they do best, while Aussie Ben Mendelsohn delivers an astonishing turn as a charismatic junkie.
Brutal just as often as it is subtle, this is the sort of film school media classes thrive on and well worth checking out.
3.5 out of 5
Killing Them Softly Australian release: 11th October, 2012 Official Site:Killing Them Softly Cast: Brad Pitt, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, James Gandolfini, Vincent Curatola, Richard Jenkins, Ray Liotta Director: Andrew Dominik
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