Film Review: KILLING THEM SOFTLY (2012)

Director: Andrew Dominik
Writers: Andrew Dominik (screenplay), George V. Higgins (based on his novel, “Cogan’s Trade”)
Running time: 97 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Crime/Thriller
UK Release date: 21^st September 2012

Watched on DVD Sunday 11^th August 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have to admit that I didn’t know an awful lot about this one going in. I had a vague recollection of it being reviewed quite well, but with reservations. A friend of mine had seen it and he didn’t particularly like it, but I wasn’t about to let that put me off (he’s steered me wrong before). It’s certainly an interesting film with much in its favour. I can see how it may not be to everyone’s taste but I felt I probably got more out of it than most (maybe). Here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

It all hinges on the robbery of a card game. The perpetrators are Frankie (Scoot McNairy) and Russell (Ben Mendelsohn) and they were sent by Johnny Amato (Vincent Curatola). Now, the game was being run by Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta), who has had trouble like this before and so it was felt any heat would fall on him. Of course the robbery goes down and they get away. The bosses aren’t happy and they send in Jackie (Brad Pitt) to sort it out. He liaises with Driver (Richard Jenkins), who seems to be a kind of middle man. They have a difference of opinion about how to proceed and Jackie ends up bringing in another hit man from New York, Mickey (James Gandolfini). This proves less than successful, for reasons I won’t go into here, and Jackie ends up doing the job himself. But will it go as smoothly as he expects?

I liked the way the film started with a very bleak and down-to earth approach to the whole set-up. Some interesting low-life characters planning a robbery always catches my attention. If anything, it steps up a gear when Brad Pitt enters the scene and I’m really beginning to get into it. Sadly, it wasn’t to last, when the James Gandolfini character appears it does take a bit of a dive. He seems a bit of a wasted character; only there to pad the thing out a bit. It’s a shame because I really liked Gandolfini as an actor and felt this was not a fair reflection of his talent. Some very interesting effects were used and I found these very interesting. The use of slow motion in one particular assassination scene was quite breathtaking. There is also a scene depicting the world from a drug addict’s point of view that looked pretty strange too. Over all, it’s one of those that I think I’ll have to watch again to fully appreciate. For now, I liked it, but didn’t fall in love with it; I’m sure a future viewing may fix that one way or the other.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.2/10.

IMDb Score: 6.3/10 (based on 69,545 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1764234/

MetaScore: 64/100: (Based on 42 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 75/100 (based on 210 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 45/100 (based on 115,903 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/killing_them_softly/

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LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/killing_softly
Official Site: http://killingthemsoftlymovie.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: WELCOME TO THE RILEYS (2010)

Director: Jake Scott
Writer: Ken Hixon
Running Time: 107 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama
UK Release Date: 18^th November 2011

Watched on Sky+ Friday 27^th July 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Another film recommended to me but I’m not quite sure from whom, where or when. If I was a gambling man I’d bet the person who recommended it was a fan of the ‘Twilight’ movies because Kristen Stewart is in this one. Another possible reason could be that it was directed by Ridley Scott’s son, which in my book makes it worth a look. No matter the reason, it was an interesting film with both good and bad points, but more of that after this very brief summary.

Doug and Lois Riley have grown apart since their teenage daughter died in a car accident eight years ago. Lois has become a recluse, refusing to leave the house and Doug has been having an affair with a waitress, but now that is over. He goes on a business to New Orleans where he meets a young stripper, Mallory. The pair begins an uneasy, but platonic relationship; he even moves in with her. He tells Lois over the phone that he will be staying in New Orleans for a while. She doesn’t want to throw away thirty years of marriage and plucks up the courage to drive there. What will she find and how will she react to Mallory (and vice versa)? Well, you probably guess I’m not going to tell you here.

A well made film with some interesting performances, chiefly coming from James Gandolfini as Douglas Lloyd ‘Doug’ Riley, Kristen Stewart as Allison alias Mallory and Melissa Leo as Lois Riley. All three did a really good job with a script that I did find a little predictable. Kristen Stewart, probably wanting to do something very different to that other part she’s famous for, did a decent job, although some of it did look a little forced. I have always rated her as an actress but with this I felt she didn’t make me believe in the character. I thought Melissa Leo did a great job as Lois, I really felt for her when relating the story of how her daughter died. James Gandolfini was excellent as Doug; he was plays this kind of part really well.

A quite slow paced film which may put some people off, I did find the opening third quite hard to get through. After that it did pick up and I could see some nice ‘Scott family touches’ beginning to appear. With a better script I could see this becoming a bit of a hit, however, it did fail to hit the mark (for me), despite the best efforts of cast and crew. A touching drama with some good performances and some nice touches here and there. Not quite enough to earn my recommendation but still maybe worth a look.

My Score 6.4/10

IMDb Score: 7.0/10 (based on 10,400 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1183923/

MetaScore: 50/100: (Based on 29 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 54/100 (based on 76 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 59/100 ‘Liked It’ (based on 16,270 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/welcome_to_the_rileys/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
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FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Douglas Lloyd 'Doug' Riley: [approaches Mallory] Excuse me. I'm not a cop. I'm from Indianapolis, Indiana and I run a wholesale plumbing supply business. I'm here for a convention.
[hands her a business card]
Mallory: Okay, I'm sorry about that. I just got cops on the brain, you know? I can't help it. They've been snooping around the club and they towed my car for unpaid parking tickets.

Douglas Lloyd 'Doug' Riley: [to Lois] Come on inside.
Lois Riley: The person you want me to meet lives in here?
Douglas Lloyd 'Doug' Riley: Her name is Mallory. Now, her real name is Allison. She's got a lot of names because she works in a strip club.
Lois Riley: She's a stripper?
Douglas Lloyd 'Doug' Riley: You'll understand once you meet her.
Lois Riley: Understand what? That you've lost your mind? Jesus, Doug.

Lois Riley: She's not Emily.
Douglas Lloyd 'Doug' Riley: I know that.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer:

Film Review: FALLEN (1998)

Director: Gregory Hoblit
Running time: 124 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller/Horror
UK Release date: 13^th March 1998

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 30^th October 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have seen this film before and pretty much enjoyed it. Noticing it in the TV schedules recently, I thought I’d give it another go and put some thoughts down about it this time. A film that is not widely hailed as a horror film, I found it both atmospheric and quite menacing. To me a good horror film pays on the audiences’ fear of the unknown, and this film does just that. I’ll tell you more after this brief summary.

When serial killer, Edgar Reese, is about to be executed, he asks to speak to the detective that caught him, John Hobbes. Gloating at Hobbes, he begins to speak in some foreign language and finally bursts into song; The Rolling Stones, ‘Time is on my Side’. Thinking nothing of this, Hobbes proceeds to witness the execution, but it’s not the last he’ll see of Edgar Reese, or is it Edgar Reese? A day later Hobbes is called to the scene of a murder, a murder that has all the hallmarks of Edgar Reese. Does he have an accomplice, or is there a copycat out there? Either way, it’s a puzzle that has to be solved and one that will lead Hobbes and his partner, Jonesy, down a very perilous path. I won’t say any more or the Spoiler Police (demonic branch) will be possessing my family and turning them against me.

A well made film with a very interesting narration and a delightful twist at the end. Great performances all round, especially from Denzel Washington as John Hobbes, John Goodman as Jonesy and Embeth Davidtz as Gretta Milano. Honourable mentions go to Donald Sutherland as Lt. Stanton and James Gandolfini (with an outrageous moustache) as Lou.

I very much enjoyed this film although it did fall a little flat about two thirds of the way through and I did find it a little over-long. Other than that I found it quite an intelligent film that keeps you guessing right until the end. It’s one that will be overlooked by many (low gore factor), but one I would encourage any horror fan to watch. It has quite a slow pace, but don’t be deceived, it’s quite enthralling if you give it a chance… Recommended.

My Score: 7.6/10.

IMDb Score: 6.8/10 (based on 30,255 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0119099/

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 40/100 (based on 55 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1080990-fallen/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
Azazel: I wanna tell you about the time I almost died....

Azazel: Time is on my side. Yes it is.

John Hobbes: There are moments which mark your life. Moments when you realize nothing will ever be the same and time is divided into two parts, before this, and after this... Sometimes you can feel such a moment coming. That's the test, or so I tell myself. I tell myself that at times like that, strong people keep moving forward anyway, no matter what they're going to find.

Azazel: [Last lines] Like I said before. I was beaten. I was battered, tired and neaten by a detective John Hobbes. It's disturbing that you were alive for a thousand years and you realize that you're actually going to die, because some self-righteous cop thinks he’s gonna save the fuckin' world. Yes, a demon can die, and Hobbes finally knew how to beat me at my own game. Oh, I forgot. I was gonna tell you the time I "almost" died, seeya 'round.

LINKS:
Trailer:

Film Review: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (2009)

Director: Spike Jonze
Running time: 101 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): PG

Genre: Drama/Book Adaptation
UK release date 11th December 2009

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 30th January 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

First of all, I had better say for the record that I have never read Maurice Sendak’s much loved book of the same title published in 1963. It’s just one of those that never crossed my path. The film, well, it didn’t really strike a chord with me (which I’ll probably get a lot of stick for) but hey, you can’t like everything. But more of that later, here’s a very brief summary first (summary haters please have a snowball fight while I write the next paragraph).

Max in a high spirited lad with a very active imagination who has a habit of throwing a tantrum when things don’t go his way. After an argument with his mother, Connie, he storms out of the house and runs away. The thing is, he also runs away in his head to a place across an ocean (yes, you guessed it) to Where the Wild Things Are. They take the form of giant furry monsters, for want of a better description, and Max befriends them. One of them, Carol, is just like Max, strong willed and prone to the odd tantrum or two. Max persuades them to let him be their king, but he soon finds that being a king is a bit harder than he first thought.

Now, technically I can’t fault this film, it’s beautifully shot with some excellent special effects used for the ’Wild Things’. My problem begins and ends with the character of Max, if you can’t identify with Max then the rest of it just falls apart I’m afraid. Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was a fine performance from Max Records as Max; it’s just that the character didn’t resonate with me.

It’s a shame because I was really looking forward to watching this and I feel a bit let down by it. I grew up in the countryside, climbed trees, grazed my knees and did all the fun things children do, but at the end of the day I was always happy to go home. I guess that’s where I differ from Max; I never had a need for somewhere to escape to. But I digress; I cannot say if it is a good representation of the book, I’m sure there are others out there who can answer that. For me, a bit of a disappointment and so not recommended.

My score: 5.4/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0386117/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/where_the_wild_things_are/
Official Site: http://wherethewildthingsare.warnerbros.com/dvd/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3225158169/