Killing Them Softly [Blu-ray] [2017]

American capitalism is damaging. It's destructive to those it takes away from and those it gives to. And no one can stop it. That's the message Andrew Dominik's neo-noir crime thriller Killing Them Softly sends and he delivers it so with gruelling mordancy. This is an intelligent, confident, dialogue-driven film that will not appeal to all and is the reason why many do not appreciate it.Cast back to the financial crises of 2007-2008. A time when the presidential election was underway, and the recovery from the damage caused by unregulated free markets was used as the main driving force to convince American's that they, above and amongst all the political and economic turmoil, "are one." The film uses the criminal underworld as one extended metaphor for this; those men who have made money in a damaged economy, where the American Dream is purely just that, gamble it in an attempt to obtain more when it can be lost easier than it can be made. Life, financially, is very uncertain here. Enter the drug-addled, low-life dregs of society; the underbelly; desperate men (Frankie and Russell, played by Scoot McNairey and Ben Mendelsohn, respectively) who possess an even greater motive for making it their own when they have nothing. Frankie and Russell represent, like all the characters in this film, symbolic figures in capitalism's chess and pawn game. Trapped in a bubble, evidently of their own wrongdoing, they struggle to find decent employment, made clear by Frankie's complaining of being unable to find a suitably located job, and any ones further away are marred by his inability to fund transport; lifestyle choices are prioritised based on scarce disposable income and crime is, as for many, the last but only resort for him. Russell, presumably in a similar predicament, steals dogs and sells them to buy in smack and begin pushing as a drug dealer. Devoid of any form of intelligence, his futile egotism and ignorance subsequently forms his downfall. Squirrel, an aged man, working in a laundromat, whose past transgressions have significantly dented future prospects of raising his children after spending time in jail, convinces Frankie to knock over a card game owned by Marky Trattman (played by Ray Liotta.) Trattman is an unfortunate soul, a man caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time. All the fingers point to him as being responsible after the card heist, pivoted by his confession of hiring men to knock over a previous card game. Trattman is the man who won't be listened to. In America's corporate machine where the Wall Street bankers are just as guilty as the congressmen, these people would rather point the fingers and pin the blame on them than themselves.Jackie Cogan (played by Brad Pitt) is called in by the driver (Richard Jenkins) as enforcer/mediator to solve the problem and bring Frankie, Russell, Squirrel and Trattman to 'justice.' It is through Jackie that we witness attitudes of sheer ignorance; they blame everyone else but themselves. None of the characters in this film are happy or content. They all feel hit by the card heist (a channel through which the economic collapse worked its way through) and as such they want things sorted out sooner than later. To quote Jackie, "they're losing money. People don't like to lose money." The decision on who to talk to and who to hit slowly unfolds into a diplomatic situation and at one point, a stalemate. The complexities and inconveniences of the hypothetical 'chain of command' inhibits any quick turnaround of a solution (representing the state's difficulty in resolving the crises), shown through Jackie requesting further money from the criminal organisation, via the driver. Any interference from a third party involving gangster's money will inadvertently have terrible repercussions, but what is showcased here is less of revenge and more of a politically-motivated, twisted form of justice to 'seek out those responsible for causing financial distress.' This provides a different, refreshing outlook altogether.Enter the hitman Mickey, played by the late James Gandolfini, a self-absorbed, alcoholic man with a penchant for complaining about trivialities whilst indulging in hookers, a lustful 'hobby' which changes his perception on women; sexual objects only alive to provide pleasure for men. His personal life with his wife is all but survived as a result of a complication with shotguns he intended to use to hunt geese, felled under the hard judicial hammer of the gun legislature. He complains about compomises via travelling second-class from upstate. He wastes time sleeping and fornicating because he has nothing else better to do. There is nothing for him to strive for, because he has all the money to fulfil his materialistic needs. Mickey proves infutile, so Jackie takes the matter in it's entirety into his own hands to bring things to a closure where money is evidently the greatest obstacle. The final climax surfaces from payment complications and recession prices; just when everything seems to be returning to normal, it never will be in this self-destructive cycle alluding to the economic flow of money and income.Amidst this all, are television clippings of presidential speeches by both George Bush and Barack Obama which run in parallel to the actual events unfolding in this criminal dilemma. The opening speech by Barack Obama convincing American's that their land is one of opportunity and a chance to make life what they desire is, ironically, reflected through Frankie; cigarette-in-mouth and head-to-the-floor, traversing through the dusty, grimy landscapes inhabited by fly-tipped rubbish and plastic bags, a pensive look descending his face. The Treasury's strategy for countering the piling state debt and imposing sanctions on those responsible for contributing towards the economic collapse is reflected through criminal enforcers Barry and Steve (appointed by Jackie) who take "decisive action" to punish Trattman. George Bush's speech on reassuring American's of his efficient workers paid to root out the problem and extinguish it runs in parallel to Jackie finally planning to hit (assassinate) Markie. The state are capitalists using their pawn pieces in a political game, whereby whatever jobs these 'small-timers' are tasked to, the money will still flow upwards; those at the bottom will be starved, fuelling their desperation to commit more crime regardless of what side of the coin they are, and the ones at the top are fed, and fed, and fed, but even with their plates over-piling, they feel unfulfilled, empty and selfish. Attention must be paid to the dialogue in this film; everything is and emerges as a result of the conversations between these characters of different calibre. It brings up themes of desperation, selfishness, arrogance and ignorance in a world where everyone is struggling to make their way in life and at heart, they would rather put themselves first than others.The filmmaking is something to be truly endeavoured. A gritty, 1930's feel drives the motion picture with nostalgia-esque cinematography firing on all cylinders; thick leather jackets accompanied with grimy, sinister attire, retrospective muscle cars that roar through highways and desolate car parks, derelict drug-den locations which time forgot, haunting soundtracks by Ketty Lester, Johnny Cash and Cliff Richards, to name some, relive a once well-established yet incredibly hard to achieve, sub-genre of crime thriller. The sound editing is skilful; introducing and blending in timeless pieces of the Velvet Underground's Heroin to hypnotic, trance-like experiences of the indulgences in illicit substances, while approaching atmospheric scenes with exacting exaggeration, through brutal sounds of bone breaking and shotgun bullets tearing apart windows, skulls and flesh, cries of desperation and hailstones thundering amidst thunderous roars in the black landscape; metamorphosis for a merciless and callous approach to a 'diplomatic situation.' Some call Dominik pretentious for how the film shifts towards the end. Far from it. He is confidently exhibiting how the corporate machine of America always succeeds, and those unfortunate enough to be caught in the catch-22 whirlwind never make it out alive. To quote Jackie, "America is not a country, it's just a business." It speaks for itself. Money is the root of evil, a well-known doctrine torn down of every cliche and rebuilt as a narcissistic, angry and ignorant organisation.Killing Them Softly establishes itself as a film in its own right; one which will garner a cult following and in time, be known as a modern American classic. For now, it's a greatly misunderstood, polarising motion picture where only few are intelligent and appreciative enough. I hope that you, reading this, are one of them. If you have already seen it, watch it again, with a more open and accepting mind. If you are planning to for the first time, avoid the theatrical trailer, for it is misleading into thinking this is an action-packed, testosterone-fuelled movie; there are plenty of those on the Hollywood blockbuster market, Killing Them Softly separates itself altogether.Parent's Guide - Strong bloody violence, strong language, strong drug usage, sexual references

I like Andrew Dominik,i think he's a cool director so I was already biased before even watching.Dominik is a director that loves movies,speaks it's language.Kind of like Paul Thomas Anderson in that regard.First off the bat let me tell you what this movie is not...1.A fast paced crime caper with zany criminals with bazookas2.Not about robbing plush casinos3.No limping mastermindsNow this is not to say there is anything wrong with a zany caper concerning criminals who rob a plush casino with bazookas,in fact I love those type of movies.But I thought i'd save the more discerning viewer 90 minutes or so as well as a couple of quid.Killing Them Softly is a bit more about the nuances,sitting in the cars talking about jobs,watching people sweat and actually showing that carrying out a hit can be a bit of a chore.There's nice performances from all involved and I have to say my respect for Pitt has increased,i have really enjoyed Jesse James,Tree Of Life and this movie.Credible,artistic movies.I can't think of many mainstream actors who would say such lines about Thomas Jefferson being a wino and America purely being a business.My one complaint would be the ramming of the economic theme,WE get it.It did seem at one point there was a constant Obama or Bush speech playing.Once would have sufficed.And made the point.I liked this movie,who knows if you will?BUT if you liked Dominiks previous you will enjoy,nice shots,solid acting,good script.I have seen other people mocking Softly saying its tryin to be "Tarantino esque",if anything I would argue to the very opposite.If it was trying to be that it would be Tarantino on tranquilisers at the least.I look forward to Dominiks next movie,heck I may even go see War War Z.Cool.

Was expecting better

For me this is a good Brad Pitt film.

Not an amazing movie but good solid performances with very watchable actors. Set during the Bush era and the news always seems to be on in the background. It's as if it wants to say something but falls short right up until the amazing out of place patched on monologue in the last 10 minutes that leave you wondering 'where did that come from?' It should have been The Departed but isn't, still worth a watch though.

Enjoyed this very much. There are some excellent performances; Brad Pitt owns the screen and the great James Gandolfini (RIP) puts in a stunning performance as a hitman past his best - to name but two.Negatives first - Too much political content. Every car scene has the radio spurting out political speeches and every bar scene has Obama on the telly. Too much. This film also doesn't reach the heights it should have considering the story and dialogue options and heavyweight talent. Ray Liotta isn't used to his full potential.It is a flawed film and by no means a masterpiece BUT tension runs high, dialogue is sharp and overall the level of cool is high. I would have liked one or two more set pieces but I would certainly watch this again. Good.

très bon film thriller drame, un peu gore, de bons acteurs, on ne peut que penser à l'influence des frères Cohen.

Product was mint condition

todo rapido y bien

Film davvero bello! La qualità video è ottima per il formato bluray, per il resto il prodotto è qualità standard quando si tratta delle classiche custodie bluray, amazon garantisce come sempre una spedizione veloce per i prodotti prime.

This movie has gotten a raw deal. It is a 5-star movie. The problem is it's an exceedingly subtle movie. Read through the mixed to negative reviews and you see one of two things (or both things): either the person thinks the movie is superficial politica, or they had expectations (because of the gangster genre) and were let down.Here's the thing. This movie is a recreation of the 2008 financial crisis. Every character in the movie represents a different group (like Richard Jenkins is obviously the American government). When you view the movie with this frame, as a parable, I think it takes on new dimensions. You're suddenly comparing characters and groups of characters (like the poker players) to their real-life equivalents (the poker players represent the American 1%). But you're also looking at the interaction between characters and then what that's saying about the interaction between the real-life equivalents. What do I mean by that? The final speech. I won't give it away, but a lot of reviewers and people who have seen the movie say the final speech is cheesy. Sure. Except when you view it through the frame of "Brad Pitt's character has a real-life equivalent", the final speech takes on a different dynamic. It isn't just some speech in a fictional narrative of some movie. It has a real-world influence, it represents something that's not fiction. Who does Brad Pitt's character represent? It's not a "who" rather than a "what". (Hint: it's the American Spirit). The question isn't "is the speech cheesy or not, is it bad or not, is it cool or not?" The question is: do you agree that the speech is representative of the 21st Century American Spirit? If not, why? If so, why? If you agree, does the speech make you feel a rush of pride or discomfort? Then you also have to analyze what it means that it's the avatar for the American Spirit that ends the movie with a surge of emotion. Is Andrew Dominick saying that despite all the **** from the 2008 crisis, the American Spirit will overcome it and win out? I think so.In other words: imagine taking the 2008 financial crisis and condensing it into a fairy tale wearing gangster clothes. That's what "Killing Them Softly" is.Don't expect a fast-moving gangster movie. Don't expect "The Departed" or "Goodfellas".Don't short-change the movie and think it's dumber than what it thinks it is. If it's not smarter than you, it's at least as smart as you.It's fine if you understand what the movie is doing and still don't like it. Maybe it really is too slow for you. Maybe you just don't like these kinds of movies. It's not a bad movie, though.Given time, people and critics and scholars will come to appreciate this movie. I hope you're one of them.