"Killing Them Softly": Reviews are in
"Killing Them Softly" opens in theaters today and, while critics are mixed on how they feel about the adaptation of George V. Higgins' novel "Cogan's Trade," they do agree on one thing: the movie is not subtle.
The film follows Brad Pitt as Jackie Cogan, an "enforcer" hired to track down three guys who rob a Mob protected card game. The gangster thriller also stars James Gandolfini and Ray Liotta.
"Killing Them Softly" received a 78 percent from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the film's performances, but criticizing its lack of subtlety.
Here's what some are saying:
Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle: " 'Killing Them Softly' is not a masterpiece on that scale, but it's safe to say that there is not one moment in the film that doesn't represent the director's carefully considered thought, whether we're talking about acting values, camera placement, sound or style of presentation."
Betsy Sharkey of The Los Angeles Times: "In adapting George V. Higgins' novel 'Cogan's Trade,' the writer-director becomes so intent on hammering home the parallels between economic decay, political disappointments and petty criminals, there is nothing soft, or subtle, about it. He should trust his audience more. Pitt, however, is smooth as silk as Jackie, the go-to guy when bad numbers have a major mess in need of a cleanup.
Claudia Puig of USA Today: "There's nothing touchy-feely about 'Killing Them Softly,' a stylish thriller worth seeing -- despite its relentless violence -- for its sharp dialogue, mesmerizing photography and gritty performances."
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone: "Murder is just another day at the office for corporate America, and the film hammers that theme home with diminishing returns. But the acting is aces, especially Pitt mixing it up with the superb James Gandolfini, as an assassin losing his game to hooch and hookers. Hang on. They make this movie a potently nasty provocation."
A.O. Scott of The New York Times: "The movie is more concerned with conjuring an aura of meaningfulness than with actually meaning anything."
Ty Burr of Boston Globe: "Andrew Dominik's 'Killing Them Softly' is a bleakly comic, brutally Darwinian gangland saga that at times comes close to being this year's 'Drive.'"