It’s been five years. Five years. Five years since Andrew Dominik last directed a feature film. That film was of course far and away the best film of 2007: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Some of us were wondering if Andrew had given up on film making altogether or if we had the beginnings of the next Terrence Malick on our hands. Now, while the quality of his films will still remain to be seen (he’s only had two), it does look as if at the very least, we’ve got a director who simply likes to take his time in between projects. Here’s hoping that philosophy will for him as well as it seems to for Malick.
Andrew Dominik has once again teamed up with Brad Pitt for his latest thriller comedy, Killing them Softly. Pitt plays Jackie Cogan; a professional enforcer who investigates a heist that went down during a mob-protected poker game. Slowly the film evolves into social commentary about our (the U.S.) faltering nation. Set in 2008 amidst the presidential election and the economic frustrations, Killing them Softly proves to be a most interesting excursion for the director and the rest of the cast which features Richard Jenkins, Ray Liotta, James Gandolfini, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn and Sam Shepard.
Check out the trailer below and tell us what you think….
This looks rad.
I’d say that, after a dozen viewings, that The Assassination of Jesse James is one of the finest movies not only of 2007 or the decade, but ever. It’s just… so… so… good. Too good almost.
Also, I hope he gets around to directing Cormac McCarthy’s CITIES OF THE PLAIN next.
Jesse James is one of the masterpieces of our time, I agree with Jonathan. This looks awesome, too.
I liked the original title (COGAN’S TRADE) better than the current title (which reminds me of the Chen Kaige English language film http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250468/ ) and the use of When The Man Comes Around seems obvious and tired at this point, but man, I’m SUPER EXCITED to see this film.
Cogan’s Trade is a much, much cooler title. I think had this been adapted twenty years ago, they never would have changed the title. Film titles has shifted dramatically over the past two decades in terms of their importance in marketing.
Such as changing The Wettest County in the World to the still okay The Wettest County to the awful, awful Lawless.
Yeah, I’ll never get over it.
Agreed so whole heartedly.
(Also, John Carter, Hugo, etc.)
The title always reminds me of the high school singing performance in About A Boy
I just keep hearing “Killing Me Softly” by the Fugees in my head.
You had me at Dominik.
I love the car explosion scene. Unexpected laugh right there.
Well. That was disappointing.
Agreed.
http://letterboxd.com/instantjim/film/killing-them-softly/
Yep. It has its moments and I enjoyed it enough, but it’s so heavy handed with its message and never really goes anywhere.
Strange how it took so long to come out in the US, we got it in the UK months ago and it’s obviously not a British film.