The economy, murder, drugs and an election all come to a rolling boil in Andrew Dominik's brilliant "Killing Them Softly," the picture that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this week (read our review) and knocked back viewers who were expecting just your standard, run-of-the-mill crime thriller.
Adapted from George V. Higgins' novel "Cogan's Trade," Dominik cleverly pitches the story against the backdrop of the 2008 election and economic crisis, in a film that is both about bad men on hard times and an angry screed against the recklessness that brought a nation to its knees. In this clip, Pitt's Jackie Cogan explains to Richard Jenkins' unnamed character — a middleman figure who communicates between the higher ups and Jackie — why he doesn't like to murder people that he knows. And you'll understand why the movie earned the title it now has. And a perfect example of the film's sly thematic underpinnings come as they negotiate for an outsider hire, Mickey (played by James Gandolfini), to come in and do the job.
It's a nice tease for the film, which will open on September 21st. Watch below.