A mindless flick and typical of those that depend for their allegedly laudatory grittiness on an unrelenting stream of gratuitously obscene dialogue and talk of sexual activity that have absolutely no bearing on the plot. I was in the Navy for 20 years and never did I hear such crap spoken by sailors. How can a screenwriter hold his or her head up after writing such garbage?

Oh Dear this was sooo bad i was expecting soo much more, the film was so boring im surprised i managed to sit through it. There was one scene i liked (the drive by) but the rest was pointless boring talking that went nowhere and meant nothing. The arrival of James Gandolfini is totally pointless and has no impact on the film other than waste 30 minutes with more talking...
i would say worst film of 2012, even worse than twilight....… Expand

The last film by writer/director Andrew Dominik was "The Assassination of Jesse James

It doesn't really make sense to hate a movie largely because it is an obvious allegory to (then) current events. So what if it is? I don't mind if they put at the beginning of the movie "This is an allegory to the financial crises of 2008". That could be the title of the movie for all I care. The question is if it is actually a good movie. And yes it is. True Romance/Resivior Dogs/Pulp Fiction like. Wish the larger story would have kept up throughout the film, but still.… Expand

a film by a director in love with brad pitt's image... nothing new under the sun. nonetheless, the cast THE CAST THE CAST is remarkable, some of the photography tricks are good and the soundtrack remarkable. this is kind of a sleeper, since it was thrased in 65th cannes. it is worth the while and kind of makes you expect what its director might achieve next.

A waste of our money & time!! Slow motion gore with no point. Repeated bars with CSPAN and CNN playing in the background show how unreal this film is! If only movies could be made by those that create the trailers...

This is the absolute worst movie I've seen in a few years. The movie thinks it's clever, but it's not. It's hammering its point about it all being some kind of metaphor for the economic crisis home so hard I doubt even the biggest idiot could miss it.
Then there's the dialogue. Oh my dear lord the dialogue. Sometimes inane banter in a movie is fun. Or good. Or both. Or it serves to really flesh out the character. They have to be actually interesting or fun in order to pull that off. That way, the dialogues won't feel like they're nine damn hours long.
The action is of course not the point of a movie like this, but it's very well executed, I have to admit. It looks beautiful, realistic and brutal. But by the time you get to one of these scenes, you just don't care any more. You hate the movie for what it put you through so far. You want it to be over.
Only film snobs will like this. They will claim you are not intelligent enough to 'get' this movie. The truth is everyone gets it. And sometimes, just sometimes, a movie just is really, really, really dull. Not clever. Dull.… Expand

This is a film that features great performances, most notably James Galdolfini and the very strange Ray Liotta. Killing Them Softly is dark, gritty and paints a harsh portrait of American criminal subcultures, metaphorically connecting this world to the world of capitalism and American politics. Despite its style, Killing Them Softly is a cynical, perhaps pretentious film that is unpleasant to watch due to tedious dialogue and brutal violence that feels gratuitous and senseless. Ultimately, the movie lacked soul.… Expand

killing them softly reminds me of one of those 20th century classical books. what you basically have is a simple setup for the story, but you cloak the story in metaphor, a metaphor that you let one of the main characters explain at the end of the story. i like the way how it is executed in this movie, to the extend that the actual story isn't even that much fun to watch, because it is sacrificed for the metaphor. it makes me feel really smart for having read the 20th century classical books.… Expand

It wouldn't be fair for me to give this a negative review, or even an average one. It was well constructed, and well acted. What got me to see this movie, as I was originally on the fence, was the fact that people were comparing it to Drive, one of my favorite movies of last year. Upon seeing it, I can understand the comparisons, but I don't agree. It is setup in a similar way to Drive. It's a slow building, slow paced movie, with a few scenes that are sure to create excitement. I think if you just liked Drive out of sheer entertainment and nothing else, you might like this movie for the same reasons, although it is not as strong in that area as Drive. What it didn't have at all, which Drive did have, was brilliant character development, a thought provoking theme, and beautiful emotional power throughout. If that's the kind of thing you liked from Drive, I would say this movie doesn't cut it. We don't learn enough about the characters to care about them, and while the story line is somewhat entertaining, if you like movies that are a bit slow, it doesn't have a brilliant script artistically, and so if you were expecting this to be this powerful art house movie, you might be disappointed. I'd say overall, it's a movie well constructed to achieve entertainment only, and that's only if you don't mind the pacing.… Expand

"Killing them softly", the words and title, refers not to the act of murder... and on that note... people who rated this movie poorly did so because they expected a typical mind-numbing action shooter and therefore didn't get the over-arching connections/themes. Regardless, the movie was alright but nothing to brag about. Plot revolves around a mafia group running a card game among all the bosses. This then gets robbed which leads to the bosses hiring brad pitt to kill the people who robbed them. Plot moves very slowly but the film is built to be a drama/dark comedy with the over-arching theme of comparing it to the way America runs. Interesting take in my opinion and once you get the connection they are trying to make with the USA it's not half bad. The government is killing its citizens softly with its policies and, as Pitt says, we are not untied and do not work as one... you're on your own. It is a cool cult movie and definitely worth a watch if you have the intellect. But honestly it's probably only worth a rent.… Expand

The plot of this film is a thin as piss on concrete, but the filmmakers wanted to put a subversive (well in the end they push it in your face) message in it: America is a country where every man has to fend for himself, and if the economy is going down the drain they'll just have to fend a little harder The events in this movie move along ever so slowly, but they keep your attention focused with the engaging acting. There are many scenes that seemingly serve no purpose, it's more like spending time with the characters. They were smart enough not to stretch it out longer than 97 mins, which is about the right length for this kind of film.… Expand

After giving two excellent films last year (i.e. The Tree of Life, Moneyball), Brad Pitt decided to give a try to something different, something that is not so mainstream and hence he decided to do Killing Them Softly. Honestly, I didn't like the film that much, the performances are good, no doubt, but in a neo-noir crime film, I expect a little more than just good performances. It would have been a great film if there were any mysteries incorporated in film's plot, but sadly, there wasn't a single mystery, just a simple plot and a predictable outcome. The only reason I decided to watch this film was Brad Pitt. If you think of this movie considering only Pitt in mind, then this movie is okay. The best things about this film are those slow-motion scenes and the last five minutes when Barack Obama is making a speech on television. There is nothing new in this film, nothing you haven't seen before.… Expand

Thats alot of dialog............and not very good dialog at that. Good twisting I think of plot, but not very creative. The violence the title would indicate rarely reveals itself. When it does, it is a bit shocking which is what i thought the movie should have more of. Pitt seems to be playing the same character again and again

With an inventive set-up and final sequence,

In summary : a below average crime-noir with some dark-comedy elements, and some not-so-subtle social criticism. I think the movie's plot (which was rather thick) was stretched to fill a 90 minutes movie, while in reality the movie would be much better as a short film, with around 60 minutes running time. I think the movie was overlong with unnecessary conversations between Brad Pitt's and James Gandolfini's character, The social criticism in the movie was straight to your face. I felt the director wanted to force his views on the viewer again and again on the most pretentious ways (on every television screen or radio people were watching or listening to the president and the candidate's speeches). The acting was good (especially Ben Mendelsohn). The camera works and CGI sometimes felt forced, like the director tried to be "modern" with the slo-motion scenes for example. I think a more "classic" visual approach would suit the rather simple story better. It certainly will not be my favourite movie this year.… Expand

worst brad pitt movie ever,No significant story or purpose,empty dialogues and low budget film.Lucky i file shared this.Even a kid can write a better script than this.This type of movies should never made in future.

epic

supermegaultraepic

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. KTS is a movie about dialogue not bullets. It spends a lot of time showing idle conversation trying to get you familiar with the characters. The only problem was I just did not find them very interesting. I felt like I was watching an episode of The Soprano's, just the only Soprano in the movie turned out to be a real douche. They spend 15 min of the movie trying to get you to hate him and then write him out of the rest of the movie instead of showing what would of been the most interesting part of the film. This whole film is them showing the boring parts of the story and leaving out the good parts.… Expand

epic

epic

If dogs could write this is what they would have written, I would NEVER have expected Brad Pitt to star is such an piece of TRASH. It was an story that have been told in just 20 minutes but with poor script and the stringing along of the plot just wanted to make me RUN away from this flick.. BEST advise of the Christmas season.. RUN not walk away from this BOMB.

The one convention that gangster and mob flicks always associate with themselves is a capitalist society. Most of the time, these aren

A smart gripping movie

I wouldn't recommend this film to anyone, well I take that back. If you detest all the films your girlfriend/wife/mistress etc make you go see then I suggest this film, cause she'll be miserable after it. But then again, you will be too so.

Painful. Wretched. Banging my head against a concrete wall for an hour and a half would have been a better use of my time, and more pleasurable. I love dark and gritty movies, but this was just dumb. This felt more like a high school film project than a professional production. By the way, towards the middle of film, I looked around the theater and just about everyone was playing with their smart phones. Luckily I got in some quality Christmas shopping in on my Samsung Note II. Very cool. I wish metacritic had negative scores, it just seems that a zero is too high for this film.… Expand

90 minutes of a well constructed, albeit dark, crime thriller that should be praised for it's originality (how many mob movies actually try to have an underlining message?) rather than dismissed for its pace or lack of conventional mob movie aesthetics. I expect great things from Dominik in the future, and although this film was not a "box office smash" I expect over time this film will surface as a cult classic. If you want a mobster/crime movie that exhibits all the obvious qualities spoon fed to you - watch Gangster Squad.… Expand

The starting 25 minutes were mesmerizing. Sadly, it turned out to be just a revenge flick. It could have been so much more if they had actually tried to develop the characters before offing them one at a time.

This movie was genuinely awful. The only reason it is getting a 2 is the gritty cinematography. But otherwise, it was a waste of money. No spoilers, there was no plot, they kept replaying 2008 election campaign coverage as if it had anything to do with the story (it didn't), the plot synopsis in the preview was all there was, it sloged along as if the movies was three hours instead of an hour 40 minutes, and you felt nothing whatsoever for the characters. It was Tarrentino lack of action without the quality Tarrentino writing. I am now afraid to see how World War Z will turn out because of Brad Pitt's creative hand in this piece of **** film.… Expand

Usually I love crime films but not this time. It seems poorly written with little dialogue referring to the actual plot. The Russell and Frankie characters drift in and out of horribly faked accents. The plot could have used some serious work. Don't waste money on this movie.

Be warned, Killing Them Softly is an anti-thriller. Instead of gangster action, most of what you see is conversation. Or better yet, negotiation. Because the film is set in 2008 during the financial crisis, what these lowlifes are most desperately chasing, is just a bit more money. So even though the dialogue is razor-sharp and the performances are amazing, from an A list cast, most people don't want to watch negotiation for an hour and forty minutes. This is a more European take on the American crime drama, even though Andrew Dominik is Australian. The movie has a lot in common with Drive. And like that movie, this one will divide audiences between those put off by the angry tone, gruesome violence, and long periods of inaction. Which might be a problem if not for the incredible stylistic passion that bursts through every frame. Even when it's just two people talking in a bar, subtle camera movements, musical cues, and acting decisions always keep your attention.… Expand

This movie has a good storyline, however it is not delivered in a way that holds your attention. During the slow drag them out scenes of dialogue between Pitt and other actors, I witnessed no less than 10 people walk out of he movie. This movie is a waste of time and money. Don't go see this unless you want to punish someone.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS HORRIBLE MOVIE! This is positively the worst movie I have seen in years. They have tried to cover this up and won't let you write a review on google or yahoo. Go and try. This movie was so horrible, people were walking out of the theater about 45 minutes into it. I almost walked out, but was hopeful there would be this huge turn of events, but it never happened. Holly-weird has gotten even weirder (bad grammar, I know). I wouldn't even take the time to rent this when it comes out. Positively THE WORST MOVIE in a long time.… Expand

The only redeeming thing about this piece of crap, was Brad Pitt's bar scene, that aside,it was absolutely terrible. After the worst Campaign , and election results EVER, the LAST thing I want to see on a movie screen, is ideology shoved down my throat ! Total waste of my Popcorn $.

If you are expecting gunfights,explosions and sex-scenes you were misled to the movie theaters by the trailer.Even though it was not what I fully expected I can say that enjoyed it.The dialogue was very sharp and fascinating and Brad Pitt didn't disappoint me.

I'm not sure exactly why but I Iiked "listening" to this movie. It's not Quentin Tarrantino but, the conversations between the characters, and there are many of them, are simple, almost unremarkable, and yet still somehow interesting. The violence that I expected is not that bad compared to other comparable movies and it is artfully done in some instances. There's not a lot going on; it's basically revenge for a crime committed against criminals. They talk a lot; I liked hearing it.… Expand

The characters who die in "Killing them Softly" are ironically or not, not killed softly at all. In fact quite the opposite. Writer-director Andrew Dominik shoots these scenes in the noisiest way possible, employing graphic visuals, super slow motion executions, and shots ringing out so realistically loud-as if you were next to someone with a gun going off at point blank range, straining your eardrums. Organized crime in America is troubled, just like the rest of the economy with a business slowdown and a growing recession. The film seems to be trying--and failing-- to draw parallels between events unfolding in the film's forefront and the running background narrative of the 2008 financial meltdown and presidential election. Perhaps if the primary narrative were more coherently developed those parallels would be easier to understand. The plot of "Killing Them Softly" is bare, and straight forward. Three amateurs stickup a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse. A genial guy named Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta) operates high-stakes poker games for the mob. One night the game is hit by two hooded stick-up men, who make off with a big pile of mob money. This in itself is suspicious, because it looks like an inside job, because who is crazy enough to attempt this brazen act. A high-level mob boss named Mickey (James Gandolfini) arrives in town and orders the executions of the amateurs by a hit man named Jackie (Brad Pitt), who likes to kill softly and briefly explains why. These are the first two of many, many mob-on-mob killings in the film. "Killing Them Softly" continues as a dismal, dreary series of cruel and painful murders, mostly by men who know one another, in a barren city where it's usually night and almost always raining. There is one female character in the film, a hooker employed by Mickey, who is the only mobster not exclusively obsessed with crime or money. As the body count grows, we meet Driver (Richard Jenkins), a gravel-voiced chief executive who appears often behind the wheel of a car parked in the wastelands beneath bridges. Fine cinematography continues to be one of the hallmarks of Andrew Dominik, but here we feel short changed at its abrupt ending that didn't go anywhere. It did its job in bringing current proceedings to a close, yet opening another door that left it hanging like an unfinished job. "Killing Them Softly" is a curiously dead movie (pun not intended). It never really gets off the ground and is strangely flat in spite of a generally excellent cast and a premise brimming with tough guy possibilities.… Expand

Not worth the price of ticket--" F " word in every sentence---Pitt should have stayed with the kids--looks like a kid trying to play a tough guy!--walks through the role!

Well written and articulate I would imagine this is not the film a lot of people were expecting. I know I wasn't, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the end result. Director Andrew Dominik has certainly got a way with actors and imagery and the film is both stylish and very well acted. Ben mendelsohn is delicious in his drugged out supporting turn and the film's opening scene just grabbed me and then never let go.… Expand

This is a movie you will really like if; A) you are a real thinking person and b) if you like films done with the same kind of pace (and irony) of a Quentin Tarantino film. First, you would be hard pressed to find a movie about thieves, hit men, mob bosses, etc. that has more grit and raw feel than this film. Brad Pitt, as a hire hit man, is simply perfect in this role. At the heart of his character is simply a business man who is out for profit. Speaking of great acting, the price of admission to this movie is worth watching the 2 scenes with James Gandolfini; he is simply brilliant. The movie ironically juxtaposes the stark realities of 21st century "business" with TV and radio snippets featuring George Bush and then Senator Obama apologizing for the crash of the economy and how we are all "one" and need to "pull together. If you want to see what the real American has come to; go see this film.… Expand

Worst movie ever made.

Admittedly the political commentary is heavy handed but watching Pitt, looking every bit his almost 50 years stare down Gandolfini while running through mountains of great George V. Higgins dialogue in bars and seedy locations across a less-than beautiful New Orleans can allow near excessive violence and somewhat indulgent use of quaint old-fashioned music as a parallel to brutality function quite well as a whole.… Expand

This was no "Chopper".

I had high expectations, Read a glowing, two page review in The Boston Globe. Love dark, cynical crime films. Would watch Brad Pitt all day, every day. It had its moments. Cinematography was great. Richard Jenkins understated and perfect per usual. Based on a great book.

It just didn't work. Too much time spent on Gandolfini's Mickey breaking down. Way, way too much political posturing. Extremely disconcerting to know that it was supposed to be set in Boston, but could see easily that it wasn't. Pitt is such a fine actor and he wasn't given enough to work with. Best moment, best line at the very end. Really good ending. Made me smile. Wish the whole film felt like the ending.… Expand

Despite the talent of the actors in Andrew Dominik's film noir, Kissing Them Softly, this film was highly unlikable for the simple reason that there is not one single character in the movie you care about - dead or alive. The political overtones were heavy handed and the considerable talent wasted on this very dark, boring script.

This is one of my favorite films of 2012 and lands at number 14 on my top films of 2012 list. Will probably be overlooked at awards season, but is definitely worth seeing for a few great performances and a solid narrative.

Killing Them Softly was an interesting blend of great scenes and forced spoon feeding. While the title implies a subtle delivery (and thus an expectation of heavy interaction), the audience is bombarded with explanation and repetition.

Killing Them Softly assembles a first-rate cast and is consistently potent in its style, but its writing and direction is where it encounters its gravest problems. We have the likes of Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, James Gandolfini, Richard Jenkins, and Scoot McNairy, along with director Andrew Dominik of The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford, which leads one to believe that we have a strong and viable mob drama on our hands. Unfortunately, we have a rather tedious, disappointing excursion awaiting us as we see that the product is combined of outdated mobster morals and lukewarm potboiler drama between its morosely captured characters.

We open the movie with mobster Russell (Ben Mendelsohn) attempting to convince his boss to hire a lowlife junkie named Frankie (Scoot McNairy) to pull off an operation involving the holdup of an illegal poker game. With much hesitation, the boss allows Russell and Frankie to pull off the holdup, and the film follows up with a long, dry robbery which is held in a concise building where a number of men in suits have gathered to exchange words, drinks, and hands, all run by crime boss Markie (Ray Liotta). Not long ago, Markie silently staged to have his own poker game robbed and kept quiet about it for a period of time, until openly releasing his involvement over a night of drinks. The gang allowed him one pass, but the next robbery, the one the film opens with, will be counted as Markie's fault and his involvement will be assumed from the get-go.

After this robbery, Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt), a local hitman, is hired to restore all mob order. He is brought in by Driver (Richard Jenkins), who tells him that Markie must be taught a lesson. Jackie's idea of being "taught a lesson" is having him whacked not because of his guilt or involvement, but so confidence and loyalty can be restored among its members. Jackie later informs people like Driver and Mickey (James Gandolfini) that he enjoys killing his victims softly, avoiding any last minute pleading, weeping, begging, or negotiating. He prefers shooting from a distance, so all feeling is omitted but all pride is obtained.

So one could say the basic plot is a hitman is hired to kill a mob member who has been shortchanging loyalty. I suppose, but at numerous points in this picture did I need to remind myself of that. Killing Them Softly stages numerous sets of dialog, lasting anywhere from a couple minutes to scenes like the opening heist that go on for roughly eight. Certain monologues and characters could've easily been left out, such as Gandolfini's Mickey, whose dialog exchanged with Jackie in his hotel room shows off nothing but his misogyny and his ability to give hookers foul and rancid sex tips.

One thing that Dominik attempts to concoct throughout the film, but doesn't adhere to it until the final monologue of the film is the idea that "America isn't a country; it's a business," talking about every man for themselves, that we work individually not as a community, and all of us should function as anti-corporate individuals. I have no problem with that ideology or the polar opposite one being portrayed in a film, but it's the treatment that fails it for me. This is pretty generic formula that was well alive in films like Goodfellas and even so far back as The Godfather; two pictures that chew up and spit this one out. Throughout the film we see scenes punctuated with news stations or billboards showing former president George W. Bush, 2008 Republican nominee John McCain, or current president Barack Obama either reminding us that America is in consistent turmoil or that our financial future will be restored under their presidency. The purpose of these clips is not announced until the final scene in the film, and never do we get a solid character opinion on the political system in America; which is odd considering we are bombarded with boring, irrelevant banter from mobster archetypes for roughly one hundred minutes.

Killing Them Softly wants to showcase award-winning, renowned actors in a mob thriller. It also wants to show us how American politics have falsely and artificially reminded us we are united as one, when we all work with very different agendas. And it wants to show the sporadic conversations that can derail off course easily and never fully regain or pick up any traction. The point is I get it. I get what the film was trying to pull off. My problem is that it undermines the talent involved, and takes a simple, sufficient idea and makes it a lot preachier than need be, acts as if it's trying something new, and then gives us the atmosphere of the seventies, with grit and old-fashioned cars, but nudging it to fit current, rough, uncertain times.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Good: Relatively intelligent story, it has depth. Mr Pitt always delivers and this is no exception. I also felt bad about the destiny of Ray Liottas character witch is a first. And there's nice cars all through this movie :) The hits performed are beautifully filmed, and considering the title I expected more of a shooter and was pleasantly surprised it wasn't so. The Bad: I am not an american, but I have been to New Orleans and this movie looks nothing like that place, it caught nothing of the Big Easy spirit. I grew tired of endless conversations between characters that couldn't hold my interest. Lastly; As much as this movie is not a gunslingin' shooter, it is, at times, a blatant orgy in violence. The talks could be made shorter, the violence could be made less exsplisit, But all in all, the movie is kinda boring, and I am usually the guy that says shooters suck.… Expand

I love the crime genre but this film STINKS. Corny, pretentious, cliché and preachy with a ham fisted delivery of an obvious and boring message. The few cool scenes of violence and decent performance by Ray Liotta and good performance by the old guy from 6 Feet Under do not come close to saving this turd. I'm a Brad Pitt fan but he was lame in this. The Aussie director obviously failed to grasp the nuance that makes a good American crime flick. Borrrrrring. I would rather stab my self in the neck than watch this piece of garbage again.… Expand

Killing Them Softly is a well made hitman noir, it packs up great action sequences and great camera angles with great special SLO MO effects. But, this movie is incredibly long and has gaps that need to be filled in order for it to thrive and be a mega blockbuster. Overall, Killing Them Softly is one to watch.

Killing Them Softly.... it was killing me softly.... worst movie I have ever watched... Do not waste your time and money. It doesn't even worth a download.

Having not been privy to an advanced screening of the film, I suspect that many of my thoughts on Killing Them Softly may be redundant. However, I solemnly pledge that I have read not a single review of the film as of this writing.

In trailers for the film, Killing Them Softly was portrayed as a boiler plate mob flick casting Brad Pitt in the lead as a grim reaper type of character (reference Johnny Cash's song in the official trailer). The film fails to convince us of what it is and comes across served as half baked.

Maybe the greatest misdeed of the film is the elegant brilliance of James Gandolfini's obvious, yet subtle, troll. His appearance is epic, with ambient sound off and film slowed, as if some writer thought, "Hot damn! And in off the plane walks none other than f'n Tony Soprano, scratch that, James Gandolfini, and you just know that, the just got real." The embrace with Brad Pitt's character, Jackie Cogan, eludes to some sort of father-son kinship, only to remain unexplained, and the droning at the bar is merely sleight of hand, to distract us from the trolling taking place before our eyes. The final act of Gandolfini is the hotel room. References to a prong and the skin under the eyelids yield the conclusive data for this year's best silver screen troll. .

Pitt's mannerisms are so repetitive from one film to another it's difficult to suspend disbelief. Am I watching Brad Pitt play a producer play a mob hitman? Is this Billy Beane's alter ego? Or, am I watching Brad Pitt play Rusty Ryan playing a mob hitman? In the final scene the facade is gone and the viewers get a dose of politics as Pitt, or Cogan, if you wish, waxes eloquent on America as a business and Jeffersonian nuances. Cogan is apparently read up on his Howard Zinn. How remarkable.

As for Cogan, we have no bearing on his affections. He seems like he just wants to put it all behind him, or get the movie over with already. There is nothing a viewer can attribute his coolness in the face of callous murder to. Is he so chipper, easygoing, and collected in his scenes with the counselor because he knows the end of the film? He doesn't come across as psychopathic so what gives? Where are his demons? The film leaves you unfulfilled on this point. Gandolfini, however, plays it straight. Here's a guy who's banged up inside and turns to drink and hookers for his panacea. Typical human behavior for a life of hard knocks. Put Cogan up against Liotta's character in Goodfellas, or Billy Costigan in The Departed. Both come up as men who are staggering through their lives. Not so Jackie Cogan. It rings hollow.

Pitt is rehashing himself. Same sultry swagger, impeccable tailoring, and jaw-half-open pondering of what happens next. One is left thinking that the film was rushed to fit World War Z into the actor's schedule.

This writer's best guess is that studios have been notified that Mr. Pitt will only be taking roles in which he does not have to cut his hair. That is the only way this movie makes sense.

4/10 for effort on the part of the supporting cast and mercy on Ray Liotta.… Expand