Most adults will remember the financial plummet of 2008. What many may not know is that the financial crisis didn’t just come after the everyday average working American, but the criminals were hit pretty hard in the wallet too. At least that’s the story that Killing Them Softly would have everyone believe. It is a lesser known film in the industry, though it is certainly not on account of its cast, story, over even its production quality. Featuring heavy hitters like Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, and the late great James Gandolfini, Killing Them Softly tells the story of the earners that most of society doesn’t think about, and how 2008 and the upcoming election of Obama changed things for everyone.
In a nutshell: three low level criminals decide it might be a good idea to rob a high stakes mafia poker game. After succeeding in the job (and being as smart as they are, not leaving town) the mobs’ lawyer brings in enforcer Jackie Cogan to find the three crooks that did it, and in any way necessary, to restore order and balance to Boston’s criminal underworld. Jackie Cogan is played by Brad Pitt, and the attorney is played by Richard Jenkins, who share a few scenes together in order to meet and track the progress of the job, as well as to get permission to make necessary hits and/or any other action.
The performances are what make Killing Them Softly worth watching.
The performances are what make Killing Them Softly worth watching. Brad Pitt shows time and again that he’s more than a pretty face in the industry, especially in this movie, and his scenes with Richard Jenkins are what push the plot where it’s supposed to go. Jenkins, though not tasked with doing too much, gives as good as he gets with Pitt, as their scenes can be tense yet engaging. The appearance of James Gandolfini as Mickey, an old and tired gangster, is almost a dramatic call back to his tenure on The Sopranos, and he of course does his thing as always. Scoot McNairy and Ben Mendoelsohn play Frankie and Russell, the two crooks that carry out the job at the behest of ‘Johhny Amato’ (Vincent Curatola) and their scenes together make for fun banter with McNairy especially showing off his acting skill in later scenes with Pitt. The dialogue is top notch, and the assassination scenes are very artistically shot as well. As such, the story though simple, carries weight, and the themes of crisis and poverty ring out in many a scene without even really having to come out and say it.
Likely another movie that just wasn’t given the marketing reach of something like Marvel or Disney, Killing Them Softly is still on track to have its own cult following. The writing and the acting alone is something that just isn’t seen as often enough anymore, and it’s just great to see that these movies are still even being made at all. It’s streaming on Netflix in select territories, but well worth buying.
