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Cannes Minireview: Killing Them Softly

Molly Goodson — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:21:14 PDT

Brad Pitt's gritty new project, Killing Them Softly (formerly titled Cogan's Trade, and based on a book of the same name), made its debut to the press at the Cannes Film Festival this morning. Considering the early hour of the screening and just how violent and drug-fueled it is as a film, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it overall. Pitt is at his best playing the ruthless assassin, and James Gandolfini can, of course, carry a mob movie.

Who's behind it? Like Sapphires and Lawless, it's another The Weinstein Company film here at the festival. Writer-director Andrew Dominik brings together an excellent cast of men to tell his story, including Ray Liotta in addition to Pitt and Gandolfini. With that much testosterone on screen, there's not much room for the ladies. In fact, there's barely a female to be seen in the film at all. At the center, there are two bumbling thieves, played by Scoot McNairy and Ben Mendelsohn, who shine in their own deeply messed-up ways - often seen sweating and using drugs. Pitt, who we have seen playing a ruthless assassin before, does it again, this time with slicked-back hair and a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he explains his preferred method of murder - "killing them softly," rather than listening to them plead.
What's it about? On paper, it's about a heist at a mob poker game gone wrong, but as both the director and Pitt spoke at the film's press conference after the screening, it's a much larger commentary on America's capitalist society. It's set in New Orleans against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis and election, with actual speeches from Barack Obama and Sarah Palin sprinkled throughout. As for the actual heist at stake, Frankie and Russell (McNairy and Mendelsohn) rob a poker game that was previously hit up as part of a scam put on by its own owner, Andrew (Liotta). Pitt's character, Jackie Cogan, is brought in by the larger mob bosses to assassinate the men. Wires are quickly crossed and it can be hard to tell who is working for whom, but with the crazy visuals and hilarious, sometimes unsettling, one-liners, it is a riveting watch. I, for one, was particularly amused by the scenes about Russell running a racket by stealing purebred dogs.
More important even than the story, however, is the feel of the film. It takes place and was shot in New Orleans, a city which Pitt is clearly comfortable in. It's not quite a love letter to the city - or to anything for that matter - like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but it still has that uniquely gritty and stylized New Orleans feel.

To read what I thought of the film at Cannes, just

What did I think? The performances, especially by Gandolfini, could start award-season buzz, depending on how and when Killing Them Softly is released stateside. While the film is not for the faint of heart, it's a thought-provoking watch. The humor and political commentary keep it from being a straightforward mob movie, therefore setting it apart from being the same story we've seen 100 times before. Plus, Pitt's swagger, Gandolfini's monologue expertise, and a pack of dogs are welcome at any movie for me. Watch out for the last line, though, it will stick with you.

Photo courtesy of The Weinstein Company

Brad Pitt Gets Sexy in a Tux For His Cannes Film Festival Premiere

Lauren Turner — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:42:40 PDT

Brad Pitt hit the red carpet in a classic tuxedo at the Cannes Film Festival this afternoon. He signed autographs, waved to fans, and snapped pictures with his phone on his way into a screening of Killing Them Softly, which he also promoted this morning with a photocall and press conference. Brad shared that he and Angelina Jolie have not set a wedding date yet and explained why his fiancé couldn't join him in France. Brad said of Angelina's absence, "She's not here now. She's prepping for a movie that she starts very soon." The glamorous pair has graced the film festival before, and while they won't be wowing audiences this year, hot duo Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson have taken over the sexy couples photo ops.

See All the Cannes Film Festival Pictures So Far!

Lauren Turner — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:40:50 PDT

The 65th Cannes Film Festival is underway, with stars stepping out for glamorous events each day. Brad Pitt hit the red carpet looking hot in a classic tux while Diane Kruger emerged in a white feathered Nina Ricci gown for the premiere of Killing Them Softly with Joshua Jackson. Kristen Stewart and Kirsten Dunst linked up for the On the Road photocall and Robert Pattinson hit the red carpet dressed up in a suit to support Kristen's big Cannes premiere. We're in the south of France with updates from the scene - make sure to check back for pictures and interviews and follow PopSugar on Twitter for more!

Rewind: Who Will Play Christian Grey?

Maggie Pehanick — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:05:00 PDT

Amid all the speculation about Fifty Shades of Grey casting, we offered some humble suggestions for the role of Christian. We're also wondering who should play Anastasia.
Meanwhile, Selena Gomez made a hilarious Fifty Shades parody for Funny or Die.
Everyone is abuzz about Leonardo DiCaprio's '20s role after seeing the trailer for The Great Gatsby and the intriguing pictures.
James Bond came back into our lives with the first trailer for Skyfall.
The first teasers for Anchorman 2 have us trapped in a glass case of emotion.
Everyone's got red eye in the new character posters for Breaking Dawn Part 2.
With wedding season on the brain, we recalled all our favorite bridal parties from the small and big screens and reminisced about One Tree Hill's many epic weddings.
Veep star Tony Hale talked to us about his hilarious role as Gary, the vice presidential aide.
May finales are finishing up, and this week alone we watched as Phillip Phillips won American Idol, Glee concluded its third season while Revenge wrapped up its first, and House ended its eight-season run.
The Cannes Film Festival is in full swing, and we got the scoop on Brad Pitt in Killing Them Softly, Gael García Bernal in No, the sleeper hit The Sapphires, and the highly anticipated On the Road starring Kristen Stewart.
The new True Blood characters have us stoked about the series's return.
With Moonrise Kingdom opening, we were reminded of all our favorite movies set at Summer camp.

Brad Pitt Brings a Bit of Sun to Rainy Cannes

Molly Goodson — Tue, 22 May 2012 06:36:40 PDT

Brad Pitt stepped out with a smile this morning to promote Killing Them Softly at the Cannes Film Festival. He joined his costars for the photocall and will hopefully have Angelina Jolie on his arm later today for the world premiere. The movie, which we screened already, showcases a humorous and violent side of Brad, which is just the kind of work that has gotten him some of his highest praises, like Inglourious Basterds and Fight Club. Brad was looking every bit the movie star in his gold sunglasses as he arrived during a brief break in the rain. The weather at the festival has been less than ideal so far, but hopefully it will stay clear tonight for his big red-carpet moment. Stay tuned for all of our Cannes Film Festival updates by following PopSugar on Twitter and checking out all the celebrity Cannes pictures in one place!

Brad Pitt Tells a Cannes Crowd That He and Angelina Have No Wedding Date Yet

Allie Merriam — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:39:00 PDT

Brad Pitt began his tour of Cannes this morning on behalf of his new movie, Killing Them Softly. He rose early for a photocall with director Andrew Dominik, producer Dede Gardner, and costars Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, and Ray Liotta. The gang was together as well for an afternoon press conference. In addition to chatting about the film, Brad spoke about his personal life. He said that fiancée Angelina Jolie unfortunately will not be with him on the red carpet tonight, and that they have yet to even set a wedding date. They may, though, work on a movie together soon. Here are highlights from Brad's talk:

On making another movie with Angelina: "We'd love to."
On why Angelina isn't at Cannes: "She's not here now. She's prepping for a movie that she starts very soon."
On having set a date for the wedding: "We actually really, truly have no date."
On if, as a dad, he had a hard time playing a violent character: "Not at all. Violence is an accepted part of the gangster world. I'd have a harder time playing a racist than some guy who shoots another guy in the face."

The Apparition Trailer: Ashley Greene Runs From a Homemade Ghost

Maggie Pehanick — Thu, 24 May 2012 08:25:24 PDT

Remember that old inspirational saying, "If you can believe it, you can achieve it"? It looks like that's the case for Ashley Greene, Sebastian Stan, and Tom Felton in The Apparition. The trailer shows a team of young researchers attempting to create an apparition with their minds. When the experiment is a success, they realize that maybe it wasn't the best idea to go around making ghosts appear, especially when said ghost starts killing people.

This trailer is totally creepy and also pretty reminiscent of a couple of horror classics. The hubris of the young scientists trying to create something unnatural without regard for whether it may turn out to be totally evil is so Flatliners, while the "You believe it, you die" concept reminds me a lot of The Ring, though you had to at least watch a video tape in The Ring. These kids might be worse off, given that they have to control their own thoughts in order to survive. The flick comes out Aug. 24, but you can watch the preview when you

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Karolina Kurkova Lounges in a Bikini During a Break From the Cannes Action

Lauren Turner — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:50:45 PDT

Model Karolina Kurkova relaxed on the deck of Robert Cavalli's yacht in the South of France today. She wore a tiny bikini for her time in the sun, which comes after a string of glamorous appearances at the Cannes Film Festival. Karolina attended a bash with pals Petra Nemcova and Gerard Butler earlier this week and also hit the red carpet for the premiere of Brad Pitt's Killing Them Softly yesterday. Karolina's fiancé, Archie Drury, was by her side for Monday night's party, and she had the company of friends, including Eva Cavalli, for her afternoon of outdoor lounging.

Robert Pattinson to Star in Catching Fire?

Katie Henry — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:55:58 PDT

Will Robert Pattinson star in Catching Fire? - HuffPost Entertainment
Is Diddy trying to be Brad Pitt? - Lainey Gossip
Justin Bieber announces North American Believe tour dates - Us Weekly
Prince Charles tries his hand at being a DJ - People
Alec Baldwin has choice words for Harvey Weinstein - Hollywood Reporter
Will Smith addresses reporter slap on Letterman - TooFab
Tracy Anderson gives birth to a baby girl - Celebitchy
Recap the 10 most memorable twists in Revenge's first season - The Daily Beast
Snooki's having a boy - BuzzFeed
Selena Gomez stars in Fifty Shades of Blue - The Insider
Find out why Orlando Bloom is killing people - Rotten Tomatoes
Jillian Michaels becomes mother of two - Wonderwall
Georgia May Jagger is the new face of Material Girl - Lifeline Live
Who's going to win American Idol season 11? - Zap2It
Peek inside Kourtney Kardashian's baby shower - Your Tango

Brad Pitt Lets Loose in Cannes With a Drink in Hand

Lauren Turner — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:48:11 PDT

Brad Pitt was still decked out in his tuxedo when he was spotted at the Eden Roc Hotel in France today. He held onto a glass as he left the building in his black-tie look. Earlier today Brad promoted Killing Them Softly with a photocall, press conference, and a red-carpet premiere. He was without his real-life leading lady Angelina Jolie for the glamorous events, as she's busy getting ready to start filming her next project. She was the topic of conversation, though, when Brad revealed that they have yet to set a wedding date despite becoming engaged last month.