miércoles, 17 de octubre de 2012

Scene City #18: Killer Joe (Friedkin, 2011)



The Smiths embody the very definition of “trailer trash”. They are rednecks with ambitions of financial greatness who get caught up on the most idiotic criminal scheme this side of Jerry Lundegaard in “Fargo”. Once they decide to pursue this stupid plan they hire Joe Cooper, a detective with a side job, he murders people. 
Chris is the son with lots of debts, Dottie is his virginal sister and Ansel is the father who remarried and doesn’t seem to carry any kind of weight in his own household. Chris wants to collect the insurance by killing his mother, who apparently no one will miss. 
How this story plays out seems lifted directly from sleazy tabloids but “Killer Joe” isn’t a cheap stab at a redneck thriller. It’s a nightmarish and cold-blooded portrayal directed with brutal precision by William Friedkin and acted to perfection by its strong cast. 
It seems that 2012 has been a breakthrough year for Matthew McConaughey (he was also very good in “Bernie” and “Magic Mike”) but Joe Cooper is, by far, the best performance of his career. He projects a cool and detached menace and has some scenes of haunting power (including the infamous fried chicken scene). He is surrounded by other brave performances but the best might be by Gina Gershon as a cheating wife (who should, along with McConaughey, get Oscar nominations if the Academy took any chances with films like this).
A lot of people will hate this movie. It doesn’t take any punches and it’s unrelentless in its bleakness and brutality. It oozes atmosphere and terror within its morbid restrains. 
Whatever one feels about it, its hard to deny its powers and the commitment of its performers who create some of the most memorable characters I’ve seen in a while. This is one of the best movies of the year. 


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