A.C.O.D.

A.C.O.D. (2013)

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R - 88 min - Comedy - 23 January 2013
Big Blue Sky Rating : 5.3/10

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Director : Stu Zicherman
Writers : Ben Karlin, Stu Zicherman
Stars : Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Catherine O'Hara, Jane Lynch

A.C.O.D. follows a seemingly well-adjusted Adult Child of Divorce (Adam Scott) who is forced to revisit the chaos of his parents (Catherine O'Hara and Richard Jenkins) bitter divorce all over again after his younger brother (Clark Duke) decides to get married.

Clever, Smart Comedy

A.C.O.D. is such a terrific film that it's difficult to believe that it's Zicherman's directorial debut. The screenplay, by Karlin and Zicherman, is remarkably clever and witty--combining humor with poignant insight to a very satisfying effect. Zicherman gets the pacing exactly right, showing faith in the intelligence of his audience by never belaboring a point. The characters are engaging and the acting is very great. If your an adult child of divorce or a divorced parent who worries about your children, you're likely to recognize something in this film. (When Carter goes through his parents' divorce papers, try to catch some of the petty, ridiculous allegations each makes.) In this film, you see revealed some painful truths about human nature and complex family relationships--always with humor and compassion. This is one of the best comedies I've seen.

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Killing Them Softly

Killing Them Softly (2012)

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R - 97 min - Crime, Thriller - 30 November 2012
Big Blue Sky Rating : 6.3/10

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Director : Andrew Dominik
Writers : Andrew Dominik, George V. Higgins
Stars : Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins, Scoot McNairy

Three amateurs stickup a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse. Brad Pitt plays the hitman hired to track them down and restore order. Killing Them Softly also features Richard Jenkins , James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, and Vincent Curatola. Max Casella, Trevor Long, Slaine and Sam Shepard also make appearances.

Talky, tedious and very, very violent

Softly is NOT how the killings are done. Before Brad Pitt starts pumping lead we see Ray Liotta subjected to one of the most brutal beatings I have seen on screen; you hear his teeth and ribs crack. The killings are equally visceral; this is not a film for the faint-hearted.

Brad sheds his Adonis persona for the grunge look he wore in FIGHT CLUB, although the character he's playing is a darker version of Tom Cruise's in COLLATERAL. Liotta reprises his role in GOODFELLAS. James Gandolfini builds on his Tony Soprano character to play another hit-man burnt out by too much booze and too many hookers. Richard Jenkins's creepy saturnine Mob Boss seems to extend his (dead!) undertaker from SIX FEET UNDER. There are lengthy talk scenes in cars and bars that bring PULP FICTION and GET SHORTY to mind. The background TV election campaigning by George Dubya and Barack Omaba is presumably meant to emphasise that this is a Serious Movie we're watching, but it's as unsubtle as the hurricane footage.

KILLING THEM SOFTLY shows its sources (or its "hommages") too blatantly. The whole thing is like a hyped-up Guy Ritchie or Quentin Tarantino: some good acting, stunning cinematography, a profanity-rich script, but overall a talky, pretentious and very, very violent movie - and quite tedious.

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