A mob flick that draws parallels between the US economy of the late naughties and the declining Italian based mafia. I really quite enjoyed it, but I was surprised to see average (for popular reviewers) ratings from other reviewers. Robert Ebert especially surprised me, giving it just two out of five stars. After reading his one I soon found out why, though: he doesn't seem to have seen it. The plot he described was vaguely similar, but several of the characters were completely different (Gandolfini as a mob boss? Were you just watching 'The Sopranos', or do you not know what the actor looks like?). Apart from that, he didn't seem to like the plot at all (though to be fair the plot he described was pretty shit). He also had a problem with the economy references, and I do agree that many were a little on the nose. It may have been because of the whole dying thing, in which case I'll feel a little guilty about my harshness, but that shouldn't be... relevant, right?
The parallels are clunky, but I enjoy it when the mob economy is being explored, so I mostly forgive it that. I think it was much more than your basic guys killing each other movie. It's like a small town falling apart, where everyone knows each other. Only it's the mob, and it's depressing, and nobody seems to know what to do about it. Not once does the film go into detail about how they are making money, other than stealing or winning off one another, and that's the point. Their all too greedy for their own good. They aren't poor immigrants who look out for each other any more - it's a dog-eat-dog world. "we're all just on our own" as Frankie said.
I could go on about what I imagine the mob economy to be like plenty, but I'd get bored of that soon after you would (unless you have already) so I'll move on to mention what made the movie really stand out to me.
I could go on about what I imagine the mob economy to be like plenty, but I'd get bored of that soon after you would (unless you have already) so I'll move on to mention what made the movie really stand out to me.
There were several really beautifully shot scenes. Seriously - world class, some of the best I've ever seen type shots. My favourite was probably when Markie was hit in his car. Jackie pulled up alongside him and shot him repeatedly through the side window. It was raining, and the whole scene went into slow motion, so there were particles of glass and blood and water flying everywhere. It was awesome, and Markie fell sideways as the window wipers swept across the windscreen. Then his car rolled out into the road, and the impacts as it was T-boned were muted, as if they were taking place in space or under water. It was just an awesome series of shots, and I was left in awe even as the next scene started. Another great shot (though more fun, than great) was the camera that was mounted on a car door, so that as Jackie gets out and into the car the camera arcs with his movement, and wobbles as the door slams closed. The wobble goes well with Frankie's feelings of intense nervousness and insecurity, as he is left alone in the passenger seat without the keys.
There were also many brilliant cuts in sound (I love me some jarring music cuts), especially right at the start with the speech as Frankie walks out into the street. As he comes out into the light I was almost expecting a crowd, like when football players come out of the tunnel (this expectation was helped along by the sounds of the speech and the cheering). In reality, though, he comes out into a barren, litter strewn landscape.
The movie's use of effects is limited, and I liked that they often used fairly basic ones in order to convey stuff and thangs. The jarring cuts between music and silence, or music and loud note, or silence and loud note, are a great example of this. A solid, brick wall cut from anything to anything else has to be one of my favourite machinations of cinema.
Almost done. James Gandolfini did brilliantly. He can talk and talk, and I'm captivated. His presence is as great as ever here, and I loved the way that after moping about his cheating wife and his cheating self and his guns and prison and his depressing life, he leaned in like a kid with a secret when Jackie starts telling him about the job.
There's a bleak inevitability to all of it. Those two doofs had to die, the only question is how and when. Far from being bad writing, though, I think this was intentional; it's a microcosm of why everything else is failing, why everything has to end badly. We can see it coming, so much so that it's barely a surprise. The only question is how and when. In the end though, it's an enjoyable mob romp with a few clunky capitalism metaphors mixed in - pertinent that the last spoken line should be "fucking pay me". A must see if you enjoy the genre.
The movie's use of effects is limited, and I liked that they often used fairly basic ones in order to convey stuff and thangs. The jarring cuts between music and silence, or music and loud note, or silence and loud note, are a great example of this. A solid, brick wall cut from anything to anything else has to be one of my favourite machinations of cinema.
Almost done. James Gandolfini did brilliantly. He can talk and talk, and I'm captivated. His presence is as great as ever here, and I loved the way that after moping about his cheating wife and his cheating self and his guns and prison and his depressing life, he leaned in like a kid with a secret when Jackie starts telling him about the job.
There's a bleak inevitability to all of it. Those two doofs had to die, the only question is how and when. Far from being bad writing, though, I think this was intentional; it's a microcosm of why everything else is failing, why everything has to end badly. We can see it coming, so much so that it's barely a surprise. The only question is how and when. In the end though, it's an enjoyable mob romp with a few clunky capitalism metaphors mixed in - pertinent that the last spoken line should be "fucking pay me". A must see if you enjoy the genre.
Killing Them Softly: 78.5