Like a Z-grade horror movie or anything that has the word "Vs." on the marquee, KILLING THEM SOFTLY doesn't answer the promises of its title. The title comes from the manner of which Brad Pitt's character Jackie Cogan chooses to execute people: shoot them from a distance to avoid audibly hearing the cries, pleas, and begs. It also gives the idea that this crime flick will be a grim yet entertaining brisk. Instead, it is an exhausting snore, stretching and yawning its way through a 97 minute running time.
Pitt has once again teamed with writer/director Andrew Dominik (THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD) but to vastly diminishing results. Based on the book Cogan's Trade by George V. Higgins, the film trades Boston for New Orleans and the 1970's for October/November 2008. A couple of undesirable leeches, played by Scoot McNairy and Ben Mendelsohn, willingly participate with Vincent Curatola to stick up a mob-run card game. The game is operated by Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta), a good-hearted but greedy guy who previously had one of his games robbed on purpose. The two plunder the establishment on the same night President Bush delivers a televised speech about the financial crisis on Wall Street. Subtle, Dominik is not. The mob send for their top hitman Dylan, only to get his disciple Cogan instead. Cogan meets up and talks with their stooge messenger (Richard Jenkins), all the while the radio is tuned to metaphor-laden political discussion. Cogan wants to get the guys responsible for this crime among criminals and also the now innocent Markie, since the talk on the street believe he was in on it again. If the public view isn't satisfied with the justice towards Markie, no one will play and no one will get paid. Wink, wink, get it?
This college film-like allegory is eye-rolling and never believable. Why would any of these low-lifes deliberately listen to talk radio every day? Don't they have more life or death situations to be truly caring about right now? The only character as the sole exception would be Richard Jenkins, since he is part of a mob with corporation mentality. Then, there's all of the speeches by Barack Obama, including his victory on election day, that are superimposed into the picture, all seemingly just for an easy cynical monologue right before the closing credits. It is a very flaccid ending, richly deserving a few tumbleweeds to blow past.
The rest of the story isn't really interesting either. You are better off just reading the Wikipedia plot outline; there's no surprises or major revelations in store. The only thing keeping this from being a major fiasco is the acting. Brad Pitt may not be as menacing as he should be here but he does have a slick coolness to the character of Cogan. MacNairy and Mendelsohn give it their all as the bumbling twosome, particular Mendelsohn, whose heroin addicted character is always drenched in sticky sweat and dirty hair. The rest of the cast are fine but are unfortunately wasted. For instance, I didn't even bring up James Gandolfini's character, who literally has three scenes and then leaves off-screen, making no impact at all to the overall plot. I guess Dominik was too busy making sure the stock CNN footage is presentable for the screen or crafting a maddeningly awful opening to even care about such things.
FINAL REVIEW: 2 / 5
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