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I was warned not to confuse this film with the erotic thriller Killing Me Softly. Now I wished I did that.
This American neo-noir crime film directed by Andrew Dominik and starring Brad Pitt, based on the 1974 novel Cogan's Trade by George V. Higgins, didn't do anything for me... I know that in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, received positive reviews, I know that many of my friends on RT love it... but for me was a well made movie so irrelevant that it could not keep me glued to the screen. The story of Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta), an owner of an illegal poker ring who decides to orchestrate an inside job by paying two men to rob his poker room and later openly admits his involvement, was so ridiculous - why will someone with a right mind rob his own business and brag about it to the new customers? To boost confidence? After that we have a man named Johnny "Squirrel" Amato (Vincent Curatola) planning to rob Markie's next poker game, anticipating the mafia will blame Markie for the heist. Did anyone asked WHY will Mafia think that? After that enlisting Frankie (Scoot McNairy), a former business associate, and Russell (Ben Mendelsohn), an unstable heroin addict, to perform the robbery, just added to the disaster...
The director tried to have an interwoven story of an economic crisis in an economy that was funded by gambling (real and stock market) but it wasn't convincing - it stayed just a façade for the whole 97 minutes, not having a real connection. It was mildly entertaining but at moments frustrating as well... no wonder the movie received an "F" grade from moviegoers polled by CinemaScore.
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Cinema-Maniac on 1/20/13 at 05:28 PM
I didn't like it much either. I understood the political aspect, but it didn't amount to much. I could see why it has an "F" on cinemascore.
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PantaOz on 1/20/13 at 08:53 PM
Thanks, mate... I thought must be something wrong with me... ;-)
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Rodstar on 1/20/13 at 08:38 PM
Although the messages were heavy-handed, I love Dominiks films and this one is no exception. It's gritty, layered and an anti-gangster film to end all anti-gangster films. I gave it 90%
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PantaOz on 1/20/13 at 08:53 PM
I really wanted to like it... but it could be that is more relevant to US audience than to me... thanks for the comment!
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maxthesax on 1/21/13 at 12:14 PM
I thought this was a Roberta Flack documentary..... I dunno - the trailer didn't inspire much desire to see this one, and it appears my radar in such matters is correct. Nicely reviewed!
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PantaOz on 1/21/13 at 02:45 PM
Thanks... good acting, though!
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maxthesax on 1/21/13 at 03:17 PM
would not have expected less from Ray Liotta (a reason why I may still get around to this). No comment on the Roberta Flack Documentary????
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PantaOz on 1/22/13 at 04:58 AM
:-) I don't dare...
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Danijel J on 1/22/13 at 08:11 AM
One of the last year's movies I truly hated! Dominik didn't even managed to convince me he knows the difference between politics and political speaches!
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PantaOz on 1/23/13 at 08:36 PM
You're right there... at least Balkan people know that clearly... :-)
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SarfarazAbbasi on 1/25/13 at 05:24 PM
I had given it much higher ratings, thanks to its near-climax scenes, plus impeding dialogues at the end. After-all we all have diff. taste...Thumbs up!
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