Killing Them Softly really bludgeons you over the head with its message. Set during the 2008 Presidential Election and financial crisis, Killing Them Softly showcases the effects of these years on the crime in New Orleans. While the premise provides a nice spin on the crime genre, Killing Them Softly suffers from pacing issues and zero story complexity. It is better than the recent string of B movie crime stories, but it’s nowhere near the level of Goodfellas, the pinnacle of this side of the crime genre.
Remember when Lehman Brothers collapsed? It was a time of confusion, anger, and apprehension that enveloped most of the country. Apparently, under the surface, similar strains were being felt in the crime industry. Things get so bad that Johnny Amato (Vincent Curatola), a local dry cleaners owner, hires local crony Frankie (Scoot McNairy) and new-to-town Russell (Ben Mendelsohn) to hit a local underground poker game run by Markie (Ray Liotta) because Markie has hit his own game in the past and will be blamed for this one. The two succeed, but the mob calls in reinforcements. Driver (Richard Jenkins), a mob spokesman, brings Jackie (Brad Pitt) to town to find out who stuck the game up and bring them to the mob’s version of justice. Jackie is known by one of the people involved, so he suggests the mob bring an older hitman to kill the other man, but Mickey (James Gandolfini) has a past that is messing with his present that adds complications to the simple plan.
The hook of Killing Them Softly (these are not spoilers) is that the underground crime is actually a nice parallel to the country as a whole; that crime has its own set of rules and systems that also crumbled when the economy collapsed. For people living on the surface of society, it was more comfortable to assume that crime was infused with anarchy due to excessive power struggles, but here, crime is run by an unseen few who send orders to others at cheaper prices than normal because of the economy. The top brass are wishy-washy with their decisions to the workers, and some actions have to be taken to appeal to public sentiment. Sound familiar? I wish the title took more time to be subtle with its parallel; anytime some aspect of the collapse is compared to the mob, it is explicitly stated to the audience. Killing Them Softly wants to be taken seriously, so it is unfair to pander to an audience that is ready to take it seriously.
Killing Them Softly contains pieces of both the Godfather and Goodfellas. Like the Godfather, the pace is slower and more deliberate. This isn’t always a bad thing: slower pace can really elevate the tension or the consequences of characters actions. Killing Them Softly has a bipolar disorder with its pacing; on the one hand, the card game was nicely tense and smartly executed, showing the full extent of the robbery. However, scenes with Brad Pitt and James Gandolfini drag on a few minutes too long for the purposes of the story and the characters. Like Goodfellas, Killing Them Softly showcases the grisly side of the crime syndicate. Ray Liotta takes a beating of which I have not seen on-screen: a solid reminder for why I chose the straight life. Russell runs a side business of dog kidnapping in addition to his robbery. The scenes looked like they were filmed in the 9th Ward still ravaged by Katrina’s effects. Some of the drug use is overstylized and unnecessary, but the setting and tone are hard to escape in Killing Them Softly; hell, even the mid-level bosses have crappy homes.
Acting here is a mixed bag as well. I’ve heard people talk about how great James Gandolfini is in this, and I don’t see it; sure he is projecting sadness in his speeches, but the speeches themselves don’t showcase a great acting talent here. Brad Pitt is solid as Jackie, a fun enigma with good execution (pun intended). He is playing the audience’s voice in this story, and while not Tyler Durden, he certainly isn’t bad. Scoot McNairy is good as the in-over-his-head thug, and the rest of the cast is fine if leaving little impression.
“This is America and give me my bleeping money.” No line better exemplifies Killing Them Softly than this one. Though inconsistent, Killing Them Softly provides a dire manifestation of the financial crisis and how it has hit all walks of American life. One thing I will never understand about it though: why does every bar in New Orleans have CSPAN on TV? I believe the Saints were in the middle of the playoff picture at this point.