Killing Them Softly
Starring: Brad Pitt, Richard Jenkins, Ray Liotta, James Gandolfini, Scoot McNairy
Director: Andrew Dominik
Rating: 4/5
We haven't seen Brad Pitt on the big screen since his great turn in Moneyball but now he is back with Killing Them Softly - in which he delivers another fantastic performance.
Adapted from George V. Higgins novel and set in New Orleans, Killing Them Softly follows professional enforcer, Jackie Cogan (Pitt), who investigates a heist that occurs during a high stakes, mob-protected, poker game
And Pitt is the driving force in this movie as the violent and yet completely likeable Jackie.
It is another tour de force performance from Pitt as he dominates and owns ever scene that he is in.
He makes Jackie so completely charming that you can't help but like him and yet you know at the flick of a switch he can become a cold hearted killer.
And there are also some great support performances from McNairy, Gandolfini and Jenkins - although I have to admit I would have liked to have seen more of Gandolfini and Jenkins; the talent of the latter is wasted a little.
This is by no means the best crime thriller that you will ever see but at a ninety seven minute run time it is fast paced and packs plenty into a short space of time.
This movie has a great cast as well as a tight script but the backdrop to the movie is equally as compelling as the movie is set just before the 2008 election that saw Barack Obama sweep to power.
The film is set in a wrecked New Orleans and this movie shows a city and a country that is on the decline.
And while this is a gangster movie Killing The Softly does deliver a sobering message about the American dream.
The back drop of New Orleans works really well as it shows how some sections of society are struggling to survive with many, including Frankie (McNariy) turning to crime in order to survive.
At times the social commentary can be a little clunky but on the whole it is as hard hitting as the violence - which is pretty full on.
Director Andrew Dominik has delivered a stylish crime thriller what has a great script and a set of very unique characters.
The nod to contemporary politics and the economic downturn gives the movie a bit of an edge and it is a nice addition but not the driving force.
But Killing Them Softly is all about Pitt as he gives a mesmerising performance that is difficult to forget.
Killing Them Softly is out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Brad Pitt