 Last year I saw a number of great films that never got the attention that they deserved. Chief among them was Andrew Dominik’s Killing Them Softly, and with the flick coming to Blu-Ray/DVD next week I decided to take this opportunity to re-visit it and talk a little more about why this is going to wind up somewhat of a classic, or something at least close to it, in the next few years. I’ve said the same thing about a few other movies before (notably Drive) and been on the money to one degree or another, so I like to think that I have a decent eye for what films have a bright future ahead of them. Yes, I also said something similar about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but no one’s perfect, right? In any event, I’m pretty confident that within the next decade this Brad Pitt starring flick will be revered in a way that it’s not currently. I spoke highly of it once when I reviewed it last year (found here) and I want to do that again now.
Read more on Killing Them Softly: A Future Appreciation…
 No matter what David Chase chose to do with his feature debut, it was always going to be judged against the work he did on HBO with ‘The Sopranos’. Had he made a gangster movie, it would have been setting himself up for disaster. Instead, Chase has written and directed the coming of age story ‘Not Fade Away’, and it’s likely to still underwhelm those expecting more mob dealings. This is instead a love letter to growing up and listening to rock music in the 1960′s, and despite not being what many expect from Chase…it’s a wonderful little film. From Chase’s writing to the lead performance of John Magaro and the scene stealing supporting work from James Gandolfini, so much of this flick is a treat. It’s too small to really catch the eye of the Academy at this point, but it’s a dark horse contender for my year end Top 10 list, which I’ll be revealing in a few weeks time. Out this Friday, ‘Not Fade Away’ is the kind of movie that likely have to wait for home video to truly be appreciated. That’s a sad fact of life for Chase’s work, but I’m confident that it will receive the recognition it deserves before all is said and done.
Read more on Not Fade Away (***1/2)…
We have a bit of a slow weekend for new releases this week, with a few stragglers trying to occupy theaters in the calm before the end-of-year, heavy-hitter storm. Killing Them Softly, Andrew Dominik’s mob thriller, is the most notable newbie.
Read more on Weekend Openings: 11/30/2012…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Andrew Dominik, Brad Pitt, China, Christopher McDonald, Dolph Lundgren, Emma Fitzpatrick, Entertainment/Culture, Henan, Henen, Indian films, James Gandolfini, Japan, Jean-Claude Van Damme, John Hyams, Josh Stewart, Kareena Kapoor, Killing Them Softly, Marcus Dunstan, Rani Mukerji, Ray Liotta, Reema Kagti, Scott Adkins, The Expendables 2, Tim Robbins
 Among the many successful elements of Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal’s new film ‘Zero Dark Thirty’, the thing I feel they should be most proud of is the fact that this movie lingers in your mind the way a good documentary does. Yes, there’s elements of action and thriller moments, but this is more than anything else a dramatization of real life. The press notes accurately speak of it as a unique kind of movie: “the reported film”. It’s got the relentlessness of a Hollywood manhunt, but the stakes of reality. Everything feels authentic here, and I think it’ll be rather hard to find people who aren’t having to catch their breath during the final half hour of this flick. We may all know the end result of this story, but Bigelow’s direction and Boal’s script fill in the blanks with aplomb. Read more on Zero Dark Thirty (***½)…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: Chris Pratt, Edgar Ramirez, Frank Grillo, Harold Perrineau, James Gandolfini, Jason Clarke, Jennifer Ehle, Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, kathryn bigelow, Kyle Chandler, Mark Boal, Mark Duplass, Mark Strong, Oscar hopeful, Scott Adkins, Zero Dark Thirty
 As angry as any film you’ll see this year, but also probably as entertaining at the same time, ‘Killing Them Softly’ is a movie that works on multiple levels. Some might only see an effective and enjoyable mob tale, and some filmmakers might have been content to stop there, but others will no doubt notice and likely appreciate the political commentary on display here by writer/director Andrew Dominik. Already with a growing following as a filmmaker, Dominik has made a much smaller flick in scale than his prior work ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’, but like that movie he’s crafted a visually stimulating and unique film. He’s also working again with Brad Pitt and makes the case that they should continue working together for the foreseeable future. Pitt is captivating in one of the crucial roles of what almost is an ensemble film. Dominik is doing a lot of things here, trying to get you to be angry, to be amused, and maybe even shocked, sometimes in the same scene, so it was essential to ground the work with solid acting, and he has that in spades. ‘Killing Them Softly’ doesn’t just want to take on mob warfare and justice, it wants to take on capitalism and politics in America. As Pitt’s character says at one point “I’m living in America, and in America you’re on your own. America’s not a country. It’s just a business”. That quote pretty much sums the movie up, and when the film opens, you’ll just how successful it is and hammering that point home.
Read more on Killing Them Softly (***½)…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: Andrew Dominik, Ben Mendelsohn, book adaptation, Brad Pitt, Cogan's Trade, James Gandolfini, Killing Them Softly, Oscar hopeful, Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins, Sam Shepard, Scoot McNairy, Slaine, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Vincent Curatola
 Now that I’ve seen the likes of ‘Argo’, ‘Lincoln’, and ‘The Sessions’, the film I’m most anticipating now is ‘Zero Dark Thirty’. The new film from Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal would have my interest no matter what the topic, but considering it’s a movie about the hunt for and eventual killing of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden…well that’s a great way to seal the deal. There’s a new Trailer out now that you can see after the jump and it continues to suggest a real strong flick while improving on the already solid last one. Time will tell about its awards hopes, but I certainly can’t wait to see it. Behold the Trailer below…
Read more on The hunt for Osama bin Laden continues in a new Trailer for ‘Zero Dark Thirty’!…
Categories: Trailer Tags: Chris Pratt, Edgar Ramirez, James Gandolfini, Jason Clarke, Jennifer Ehle, Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, kathryn bigelow, Kyle Chandler, Mark Boal, Mark Duplass, Mark Strong, Oscar hopeful, Zero Dark Thirty
 Not Fade Away (**)
David Chase’s anticipated Not Fade Away not only jumbles itself into an indulgent story, constantly keeping the audience at an arm’s length but it’s overly stretched and uneven not utilizing the strong talents in the film like James Gandolfini, Jack Huston, and John Magaro. Read more on NYFF: “Not Fade Away” disappoints, “Amour” shines as the best of the festival!…
Categories: Article, Editor, Film Reviews Tags: Bella Heathcote, Cinema of the United States, David Chase, Editor Film Review, Emmanuelle Riva, Entertainment/Culture, Film, Isabelle Hupert, Jack Huston, James Gandolfini, Jean-Louis Tringnant, John Magaro, Michael Haneke, New York Film Festival, Not Fade Away, NYFF, NYFF 2012, the New York Film Festival
 I spoke briefly this week about Matthew McConaughey and his chances for Oscar attention in the Supporting Actor category for Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike. With a great showing in Cannes, Jeff Nichols’ film Mud was looking for a distributor and McConaughey is believed to deliver one of his best turns yet. It’s been announced that Lionsgate has acquired Mud but they will be releasing it in 2013.
Also, David Chase’s Not Fade Away starring Jack Huston and James Gandolfini is set to screen as Gala Centerpiece at the New York Film Festival. Is there room in the Supporting Actor category for James Gandolfini who also has a role in Andrew Dominik’s Killing Them Softly with Brad Pitt later this year.
Read the press release after the jump. Read more on “Mud” moves to 2013, “Not Fade Away” gets NY Film Fest Premiere…
Categories: News Tags: Andrew Dominik, Cannes, David Chase, Entertainment/Culture, James Gandolfini, Jeff Nichols, Matthew McConaughey, Mud, New York Film Festival, Not Fade Away, Oscar, Steven Soderbergh, the Film Society of Lincoln Center
 Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini, Anthony Hopkins, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, and Sean Penn stood on the stage of the Roy Thomanson Hall with director Steve Zaillian before the Gala screening of their film All the King’s Men (2006). Each had been greeted with enormous applause from the appreciative Toronto audience, Gandolfini and Penn drawing the largest ovations. Two hours later the film ended to polite applause and then almost deafening silence. As is the custom, the spot lights shone on the middle seats of the first balcony where the stars sit, allowing the stars and director to take their bow.
No one was there. No one. Read more on TIFF Golden Moments Part 2…
 Last night, a Trailer we’ve been waiting a while for finally dropped into our laps. Andrew Dominik made a gem the last time out with ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ and now he’s back with the Brad Pitt crime flick ‘Killing Them Softly’. The Trailer can be seen after the jump, and it looks really good, if very different from Dominik’s last movie. This could be too gritty for Oscar (the Trailer doesn’t show it, but it’s supposedly very angry and even a little political), but I have a feeling that it’ll be very popular once it comes out…perhaps even this year’s ‘Drive’, if you will. Take a gander below and see what you think. For me, this one just shot up my anticipated films list!
Read more on Trailer for ‘Killing Them Softly’…
 Directed by: Andrew Dominik
Written by: Andrew Dominik
Cast: Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, Sam Shepard, Garret Dillahunt, and Slaine
Synopsis (from Coming Soon): Adapted from George V. Higgins novel and set in New Orleans, “Cogan’s Trade” (now entitled Killing Them Softly) follows professional enforcer, Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt), who investigates a heist that occurs during a high stakes, mob-protected, poker game. The film also features Scoot McNairy (“Monsters”), Ben Mendelsohn (“Animal Kingdom”), Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins (“The Visitor”), with James Gandolfini, Vincent Curatola, Max Casella, Sam Shepard and Bella Heathcote among others.
Read more on Awards Profile: Killing Them Softly…
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