Going For The Kill

Every once in a while, there comes an action film that takes the audience by storm -- like Pulp Fiction did at its time or something No Country For Old Men did recently. Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly is one of those landmark films that will be talked about years from now.

The film cuts to the chase right from the start and there is no time wasted in introducing the characters which are pivotal to the story. But as the story progresses, the audience gets trapped in the action that surrounds them, thanks to the characters. The story revolves around Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt), a professional enforcer, who has been hired by some corporate higher-ups to investigate a felony that occurred at a mob-protected poker game. But through the events that follow, the director paints a painfully realist picture of the ugly face behind the corporate mask of America.

A lot of credit has to be given to the overall treatment, which dishes out a cold-blooded, brutal, violent and at times distasteful ambience and makes the film unique and electrifying. The dialogues in particular and the scenes in general provide a take-that-in-your-face account of the gory details of America's under belly at a time when the country was on the fringe of promised change. The story is also lined with audio-visual footage of Obama's pre-election presidential campaign- the promises and the policies that are now vague reminders of the failure the past 4 years have been.

What adds value to the gripping plot are the background score and the out-of-the-box cinematography. Slow country and jazz music juxtaposed with unimaginably violent visuals are a great combination. The cinematography is very unlike American films and reminds you, in flashes, of Requiem For a Dream.

The dialogues and screenplay only amplifies the coldness of the plot. In the last scene, Jackie says to the man who hired him, a line that sums up the entire film. Referring to Obama's famous speech he says, "He's tryin' to tell me we live in a community? Hell no. I live in America. America..is not a country, it's a business. Now give me my f***in' money!"

For the average audience fed on the Die Hards and Terminators, Killing Them Softly might be a little too uneventful to keep their attention. But, in the larger picture, the film is a treat to watch for all Brad Pitt fans and fans of good cinema. Not only is this film a great action thriller, it is an intelligent critique on the times in which we live.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on October 6, 2012