Total Film
Tough, stylish, violent and studded with stars – but like so many of its American gangsters, Killing Them Softly doesn't quite get the job done.
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Killing Them Softly
In this dark comic crime thriller, a couple of drug-addled low-lifes rob a mob-protected poker game. Enforcer Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt) is tasked with tracking the thieves down, and making an example of them to restore confidence in a grubby business built on trust. Pitt re-teams with Kiwi-born director Andrew Dominik after The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Also stars James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta and Richard Jenkins.
While the collapse of the U.S. and global economy lurks in the background, Killing Them Softly depicts a criminal underworld that, like Wall Street, runs on perception, reputation and bureaucratic process - not to mention a bunch of poorly paid Average Joes making a living by doing unpleasant work for their bosses.
2012Rating: MA15+, for violence, sexual references, pervasive language and some drug use97 minsUSA
Thriller
- Director:
- Andrew Dominik ('Chopper', 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford')
- Writer:
- Andrew Dominik
- Cast:
- Brad PittScoot McNairyBen MendelsohnJames GandolfiniVincent CuratolaRichard JenkinsRay LiottaTrevor Long
Killing Them Softly / Reviews
Time Magazine
Despite enough pummeling to flatten Rocky Balboa in all six movies, the only thing that truly rewards your attendance is Pitt in another effortless star performance.
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The Guardian
This is an unrepentantly cynical take on the hope-and-change promised to the US in 2008; this year's election race makes it look even bleaker, an icily confident black comedy of continued disillusion.
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Hollywood Reporter
The film is terribly smart in every respect, with ne'er-a-false note performances and superb craft work from top to bottom.
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Empire Magazine
A good, efficient crime thriller, let down by clunky social commentary but lifted by excellent performances, including perhaps Brad Pitt's recent best.
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