 I think it’s safe to say at this point that filmmaker Andrew Dominik has a bit of a following. The director of Chopper (2000), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), and most recently Killing Them Softly (2012) has yet to really find commercial success, but critical success has come early and often for Dominik. I’m obviously a fan of his latest film, and pretty much his whole career, so I jumped at the chance to speak to Dominik for a few minutes in advance of the flick coming to Blu-Ray and DVD. We touched on his work to date, what might be next for him, and just what his place in the world of film is. Dominik was a pretty interesting guy, so I hope everyone takes a listen to this interview. It’s after the jump. Read more on Andrew Dominik sits down to talk ‘Killing Them Softly’ and more!…
 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…
Sacha Gervasi’s much-anticipated Hitchcock was supposed to deliver a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Master of Suspense’s masterpiece (Psycho) and its improbable success. Instead, this disaster became an outlandish fantasy around the film’s crazed director (Anthony Hopkins) and the strained relationship with his wife (and uncredited collaborator) Alma Reville (Helen Mirren, in one of the film’s few bright spots), as it fabricates that their marriage was saved only by working together on the film.
Read more on Snippet Reviews: ‘Hitchcock,’ ‘Killing Them Softly,’ and ‘Any Day Now’…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: Anthony Hopkins, Any Day Now, Any Day Now review, Brad Pitt, Helen Mirren, hitchcock, Hitchcock Review, Killing Them Softly, Killing Them Softly review, Scoot McNairy, Snippet Reviews
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
 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
This week we have several character posters (Les Mis; The Hobbit; Rise of the Guardians) as well as new posters from Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, Robert Redford’s The Company You Keep, Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty, and a teaser for Marc Forster’s World War Z. The poster of the week honor goes to Andrew Dominik’s mob film, Killing Them Softly. The simplistic final poster for the film is timely, patriotic. Have a look at the posters after the jump.
Read more on A Week’s Worth of Posters…
Categories: Poster Tags: Bilbo Baggins, Cosette, Gollum, Killing Them Softly, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Movie posters, poster, Rise of the Guardians, Rise of the Guardians posters, The Company You Keep, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Thénardiers, World War Z, Zero Dark Thirty
Joaquin Phoenix in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master”
Oscar Predictions, how I love thee yet how I hate thee. As I revealed the newest set of predictions this time around and took a look at the next five months, I haven’t dived into serious awards analysis in a while. A lot of the reason was I felt it was too early and we didn’t know enough. I had an epiphany recently however; we never know what the Oscars are thinking. Even after critics’ awards drop, Golden Globes, SAG, Critics Choice Awards are televised; all mean nothing at the end of the day. Oscar will always do what she wants to do, even when everyone is telling her the obvious choices.
Granted, I am one of the few that thinks they can actually pick some great choices among their winners. I was and still am in the camp that Michel Hazanavicius’ The Artist was the best film of last year. I couldn’t have chosen a better film. Does that mean everything that accompanied The Artist was the best? Absolutely not. What Oscar often lacks are edgy, loud, or mainstream choices. Could they have found room for Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive or for its leading man Ryan Gosling? How about Steve McQueen’s Shame with the best leading male performance of the year, Michael Fassbender? Like I said, they’re not perfect. And here’s a look into the future…they never will be.
I am a firm believer that in ten, fifteen years time, we may have an Academy that embraces films like The Dark Knight or performances like Tang Wei in Lust, Caution. It’s not THAT time yet. Read more on Too Many Actors, Too Little Spaces – A Look at Best Actor…
Categories: Article, Editor Tags: Best Actor, Brad Pitt, Cinema of the United States, Clint Eastwood, Entertainment/Culture, Films, Hugh Jackman, Jack Nicholson, Joaquin Phoenix, John Hawkes, kevin bacon, Killing Them Softly, Leonardo DiCaprio, Les Miserables, Martin Freeman, Martin Scorsese, Million Dollar Baby, Paul Thomas Anderson, Peter Weir, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ryan Gosling, The Master, The Sessions
 The second half of the year is upon us. The race is about to heat up with big Oscar hopefuls coming down the pike. Our John Foote will be in attendance at the Toronto International Film Festival and many films will be unveiling themselves to critics alike. There is a very unclear yet still feasible shape to the race looking from ten thousand feet.
There are internet jitters building for Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master starring Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman. With the trailers released and now the film being pushed up to September, it looks as though we may be in store for a master class in filmmaking. Phoenix also looks to be a lead contender for his first Oscar after delivering in his previous nominated works, Gladiator (2000) and Walk the Line (2005). Phoenix does have tough competition ahead of him including what looks to be a critical darling-type performance coming from John Hawkes in Ben Lewin’s The Sessions. Early word is very positive for the film and the turns by Hawkes along with co-stars Helen Hunt and William H. Macy. Since Hawkes’ initial nomination two years ago for Winter’s Bone, he hasn’t shown any signs of letting up. He was arguably left off last year in Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene and will be seen later this year in Julia Dyer’s The Playroom and Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. There seems to be a tremendous following and support for him in his current state. Speaking of Spielberg, we’re still awaiting some type of marketing material for his upcoming Lincoln biopic. No poster or trailer has been released with very few stills leaked online. One starts to think if it will even be ready in time.
Taking a look at the next couple of months, the circuit will begin to reveal itself.
Read more on Oscar Circuit: “It’s the time of the season”…
Categories: Article, Editor, Oscar Circuit, Oscar Predictions Tags: Amour, Amy Adams, ang lee, Anna Karenina, Anne Hathaway, Arbitrage, Argo, Ava DuVarney, Ben Affleck, Bill Murray, Bradley Cooper, Brave, bryan cranston, Carey Mulligan, Chris Pine, Christoph Waltz, Christopher Walken, Clint Eastwood, Cloud Atlas, Colin Farrell, Daniel Barnz, Daniel Day-Lewis, David O. Russell, Django Unchained, Editor, Elizabeth Olsen, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Flight, Fun-Size, Great Expectations, Halle Berry, Helen Hunt, Hyde Park on Hudson, jamie foxx, Joaquin Phoenix, Joe Wright, John Goodman, John Hawkes, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, judd apatow, Justin Timberlake, kathryn bigelow, Killing Them Softly, Laura Linney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Les Miserables, Liam Neeson, Liberal Arts, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Logan Lerman, Looper, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Martin McDonagh, Michael Haneke, Middle of Nowhere, Moonrise Kingdom, nicole kidman, Not Fade Away, olivia colman, Olivia Williams, Oscar Circuit, oscar predictions, Paul Thomas Anderson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Quentin Tarantino, Rian Johnson, Richard Gere, Rise of the Guardians, Roger Michell, Russell Crowe, Rust and Bone, Sam Rockwell, Seth Rogen, seven psychopaths, Silver Linings Playbook, Skyfall, Steven Spielberg, the dark knight rises, The Grandmasters, The Guilt Trip, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Impossible, The Man with the Iron Fists, The Master, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Sessions, tom hanks, Trouble with the Curve, Viola Davis, Woody Harrelson, Wreck-It Ralph, Zero Dark Thirty
 Like many of the readers I was surprised by the large numbers of Gala Presentations and Special Presentations announced early for this years Toronto International Film Festival, just as I was that some titles I had hoped would be announced…were not.
I spoke with the Press Office today and they confirmed that there are still titles, Galas and Special Presentations to be announced as well as the entire Masters Series.
This means that films such as The Master, Killing Them Softly, Lincoln, The Great Gatsby, Life of Pi, Zero Dark Thirty, or Les Miserables are all still distinct possibilities at TIFF. All of them with the exception of Lincoln are directed by filmmakers who have been here before, and with great success. The studios use TIFF as their Oscar launching ground quite often, so it makes perfect sense that so many Oscar contenders (we predict) could potentially land at TIFF. The Galas are of course the red carpet events held in the beautiful Roy Thomson Hall, but many of the Special Presentations get the full Gala treatment in a smaller venue making them no less important. The Masters Series focuses on the international work of established directors, which means any one of the aforementioned films could land in that programme as well, though I think each of them is better suited to Gala or Special Presentation.
So as I have said, do not panic that a film you are interested in or waiting for has not yet been announced. There are many announcements, big ones, still to come. Historically, the programmers always leave a couple of huge announcements until the very end. Read more on More Galas and Special Presentations still to be announced at TIFF…
 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’…
 Yes, believe it or not…you won’t have to wait much too much longer to see Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film ‘The Master’. Originally scheduled to hit theaters during the middle of October, Variety is reporting here that The Weinstein Company now has the film opening in limited release on September 14th, with a theater expansion planned the next weekend. This is obviously exciting news, but it does come with a little caveat in that we won’t be seeing Andrew Dominik’s film ‘Killing Them Softly’ until later than expected. Hit the jump for details on when you can see that movie, but it’s nothing too bad, I assure you. You can see the date below for ‘Killing Them Softly’, and be sure to mark your calendars for ‘The Master’…
Read more on The Weinstein Company moves up the release date of ‘The Master’ to September!…
 Once upon a time, Harvey Weinstein and Mirimax, the company he started with his brother Bob and named after their parents, was as powerful a name in the movie industry as any. First as the premiere indie film label and then as a major studio with a seemingly golden Oscar touch. Many didn’t like Harvey’s heavy-handed methods, but few could resist them. A falling out with parent company Disney and a move to his own company with Bob led to the creation of the aptly named shingle The Weinstein Company, and Harvey was only suppose to be moving onward and upward. The power slipped away though without the money, and the brothers were unable to match their original creativity, but then a funny thing happened; Harvey seemingly snapped out of a funk and became Harvey Weinstein again. Now, TWC resembles Mirimax in many ways, and Harvey is again, catnip to Academy members. He’s won back to back Best Picture Oscars, and he’s got a trio of strong potential contenders again this year in ‘Django Unchained’, ‘The Master’, and ‘The Silver Linings Playbook’, plus other films like ‘The Grandmasters’, ‘Killing Them Softly’, ‘Lawless’, and ‘Quartet’ (not to mention James Gray’s currently untitled period piece formerly known as ‘Low Life’, which is now coming out in 2013), each with the possibility of awards in their future. In short, Harvey is back, and possibly better than ever…
Read more on Harvey Weinstein: More Powerful Then Ever?…
Categories: Article Tags: Bob Weinstein, Django Unchained, Harvey Weinstein, Killing Them Softly, Lawless, Oscar hopefuls, the artist, The King's Speech, The Master, The Silver Linings Playbook, the weinstein company
 With Amour taking the Palme d’Or yesterday, another Cannes FIlm Festival was put to rest. As the dust settles, it’s now a little clearer how this year’s Cannes will factor into the Oscar race. While there doesn’t appear to be three Best Picture films in this lineup, there are several highly regarded films that could make some voice with the Academy this year. Check out the contenders after the jump.
Read more on Cannes 2012 Post Mortem…
Categories: Article Tags: Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Brad Pitt, Garrett Hedlund, Killing Them Softly, kristen stewart, Lawless, Marion Cotillard, Michael Haneke, news, On the Road, Oscar hopeful, Oscar hopefuls, Rust &Bone
 And so the most prestigious film festival in the world comes to an end, with the “awards season” taking a vague shape right behind it. Cannes, usually to its credit, has almost always been far outside of Oscar’s wheelhouse, opting for indie and world cinema superstars over Hollywood royalty that make the cinema snobs raise their pinkies in solidarity. However, recently the spotlight has increased on the festival in recent years as more and more of their darlings have been getting some love from the Academy as well. Earlier this year we saw no less than five films from Cannes receive Oscar nominations, including opener Midnight in Paris, Palme d’Or champ The Tree of Life and eventual Best Picture winner The Artist. Going back further sees Oscar nominees from the likes of Biutiful, Inglourious Basterds, The White Ribbon and Waltz with Bashir. Read more on Predicting the 2012 Cannes Film Festival Winners…
Categories: Article Tags: Amour, Beyond the Hills, Cannes Film Festival, Cosmopolis, Denis Lavant, Emmanuelle Riva, Holy Motors, Killing Them Softly, Lawless, Like Someone in Love, Moonrise Kingdom, Mud, Nanni Moretti, On the Road, Palme d'Or, predictions, Reality, Rust &Bone, The Hunt, The Paperboy, Thomas Vinterberg
 If you’re like me, you can’t wait to see more of Andrew Dominik’s new film ‘Killing Them Softly’. Especially after the film screened to somewhat positive reviews and apparently features quite a political undertone, it’s got my attention more and more. Well, those who are anticipating this flick like me can rejoice a bit, as we have a short new clip to share with you from the movie. It shows off Brad Pitt and we see where the flick gets its new title from. You can see it after the jump, and stay tuned for a full trailer hopefully very soon. In the meantime, enjoy the clip below…
Read more on Clip from ‘Killing Them Softly’ hits!…
 Not only has Andrew Dominik’s film ‘Killing Them Softly’ been going over fairly well so far at Cannes, it’s also been the first flick to stir up some controversy. Star Brad Pitt has had to defend the film against the perception that it’s anti President Obama, according to The Hollywood Reporter here. Apparently, the crime story we all know it to be is also peppered with a number of campaign speeches of Obama’s during the 2008 election season, leading some to insinuate that the story is a critique of that. Pitt says otherwise (and from what I’ve read it seems to go either way), but I suppose we’ll just have to decide for ourselves in a few months. As for the film itself, the reviews have been on the positive side so far, and after the jump I’ll share a few with you, but we might just have a bigger Awards contender on our hands than previously expected (I know I was mildly skeptical of its chances in my Awards Profile of it here one the site). Check out the early word below…
Read more on Killing Them Softly lands hard at Cannes!…
 Aside from about a 30 second clip a month or so ago that floated around in relation to its impending debut at Cannes, we’ve seen almost nothing from Andrew Dominik’s next collaboration with Brad Pitt ‘Killing Them Softly’. Well, to some very small degree that’s changed, as the Teaser Poster has hit the web. You can see the Poster here after the jump, but I like how classic and simple it is. Hopefully the film follows that path, but we shall see. Behold it below and let us know what you think…
Read more on Here’s the first Poster for Killing Them Softly!…
 A few days ago the first clip from Andrew Dominik’s upcoming flick ‘Killing Them Softly’ hit the web in advance of its debut at the Cannes Film Festival. The much anticipated crime film stars Brad Pitt in the lead role, but this quick look at the movie here only has Ray Liotta, Sam Shepard, and Slaine in it. We don’t see much, but it does highlight Dominik’s directorial skills. I like what we see here, and am eager to see more. Take a look at the clip after the jump and decide for yourself, but for my money, I’m sold…
Read more on First clip for Andrew Dominik’s film “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…
 Tis the season for films to have their titles changed it seems, as Andrew Dominik’s flick ‘Cogan’s Trade’ will now be going by the title ‘Killing Them Softly’. Here’s The Playlist with the details on the change, along with some notes on a few other name related matters:
Read more on Andrew Dominik’s ‘Cogan’s Trade’ is now called ‘Killing Them Softly’…
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