By snoadmin
Andrew Dominik’s new film “Killing Them Softly” is about as subtle with its message as it is with its violence, and it is not subtle at all with its violence. Based on the 1974 novel “Cogan’s Trade,” this film turns the story of a robbery at a mob-protected card game into a metaphor for the collapse of the American economy on the brink of Obama’s victory in 2008.
Brad Pitt plays hitman Jackie Cogan, a man hired by an unnamed businessman (Richard Jenkins) to kill a couple of moronic junkies (Scoot McNairy and Ben Mendelsohn) who stole money from a card game run by the shady gangster Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta).
The entire economy of the Boston criminal underworld that the film focuses on is reliant on these card games. After the robbery, all gambling is shut down, and the businessman needs Cogan to take care of those responsible so people feel safe gambling again.
This is where the film becomes a parable. Throughout the film, Dominik uses clips of Obama’s speeches leading up to the election, radio interviews with George W. Bush and various other news reports to hammer home the point that this slimy criminal underworld isn’t all that different than what’s going on in America on a national scale. People in government positions are making decisions that drastically affect people’s lives, but they are so far removed that they barely care.
One of the more disturbing aspects of the film is how casually Cogan will speak to the businessman about a brutal murder without either of them batting an eyelash about it. They speak about ending people’s lives as if they’re just extinguishing a minor problem, even though this particular problem needs to be solved with a shotgun to some poor guy’s skull. The businessman doesn’t know these people; he just gives the order, which makes it easier for him to deal with it.
The film’s title refers to Cogan’s preference to kill his victims “softly” from a distance, so “emotions don’t get involved.” Pitt gives a fantastic and low-key performance as a murderer who treats his occupation like it’s a run-of-the-mill desk job. Hiring a movie star of his caliber for such a nuanced and strange film like this is dangerous, but Pitt manages to not be distracting.
At times, the message of the film gets heavy-handed. By the fourth or fifth time the camera lingers on television showing the 2008 election, it’s very obvious what they’re trying to say. However, it is interesting to see that even the filthiest, scummiest criminals on Earth are as fed up with this economic situation as we are. People expecting a fast-paced, action-packed mob thriller are going to be disappointed, but as an unexpected political allegory, “Killing Them Softly” is worth experiencing.
