The family doesn't have the fee-for-service upfront, so Joe takes possession of the emotionally delicate(or maybe not), virginal younger daughter (Juno Temple) as retainer until the cash comes through...
A few notes:
- Gina Gershon came through with the Entrance Of The Year. I won't spoil it here, but rest assured that it is in yer face. No, really.
- An act of on-screen brutality hasn't cause my head to turn away since Irreversible did, twice , in 2003.
- Oh again, as per Gina Gershon... I was reminded that she still has the sexiest pair of lips on-screen... or anywhere else.
- Matthew McConaughey (as Killer Joe) really can act. Who knew?
- Gershon and the fried chicken leg. OhMyGod...
- Some dogs are asking for the bullet...
- Thomas Haden Church: you seen him already, yet never noticed his being there. In this film, he does 'Bag Of Hammers' more truthfully/real life-completely than I ever seen before.
- Juno Temple has gotten my attention. Whatever she does next, I'll check it out.
The settings and camera work were right on, delivering the proper vibe and setting the emotional pace for a well built film, if a bit dark for most.
Call it 'Trailer Trash Noir' if you want, but I haven't seen a film this disturbingly rich in years, and maybe never.
OK, Irreversible was disturbingly rich. (if you haven't seen it, why not?). But there was no comedy in it. This film, though not as awesome, does contain a sick level of comedy. Maybe that makes it a tad more awesome? You decide.
Go see it.
(leave the chick at home, OK? This is not a date movie.)
5 comments:
An act of on-screen brutality hasn't cause my head to turn away since Irreversible did,
That's a statement roughly equivalent to "a pain I'd not experienced since that time my testicles got caught in the blender." So...the advice re the lack of a date is well-taken. The wife (who is no wilting daisy) left the room during Irreversible. (And I can't blame her.)
I had no idea Friedkin was still around and making movies. The Exorcist and The French Connection are obviously among the best of their respective genres. His later stuff...I don't love so much. Though with Jade he managed to make a Joe Estzerhas script watchable, which is a hell of an accomplishment by itself.
its not as bad as irreversible, though.
Well, it isn't contest. Or it shouldn't be, anyway.
(Without giving away any plot points to the curious, the violence in Irreversible is extremely unsanitized, unstylized, and unflinching in its portrayal. Not for the faint of heart...but also commendable--IMHO--for portraying acts of violence as the ugly, awful things that they really are, rather than titillation, wish fulfillment, etc.)
wish fulfillment: the (literal)head smashing in the underground was uber awesome though, once you learned the context.
It opens at the neighborhood art house on Friday. The wife is going to see Kiss and Motley Crue on Saturday (and I, thankfully, am not.) Perfect...
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