A New Cult Classic
Roger Ebert said in his review for "Killer Joe" that the film left him speechless--and that's saying a lot, especially from a guy who's seen a lot of films. Rated NC-17, this was only available at the Opera Plaza Theater in the city (SF), but the small theater was packed! The audience laughed, gasped and--just like Ebert said--were rendered speechless by the shocking, blood-soaked finale.
This is a sure-fire cult classic; there are many memorable scenes (fellatio on a chicken drumstick, anyone?), and a lot of slick, smooth dialog--especially from Joe (brilliantly played by Matthew McConaughey) who just happens to be a police officer who moonlights as a killer for hire.
Hats off to director William Friedkin, at 76 he has lost none of the edge he displayed in the 70's with his gritty police thriller "The French Connection", or his synth-infused masterpiece from the 80's "To Live & Die in L.A.". The story, adapted from a play by Pulitzer Prize winning author Tracy...
4.5 stars... film (ultra) noir with outstanding performances
William Friedkin has been around for many, many years but the man still knows how to direct a movie. Now in his mid-70s, his sense for movie-making is as sharp as it was 40 years ago when directing "The French Connection" and "The Exorcist" brought his wide acclaim.
"Killer Joe" (105 min.) was originally screened at the 2011 Venice Film Festival but a battle with the MPAA over the film's NC-17 rating held up its US release for almost a year. The distributor LD Entertainment ultimately decided to release the film unchanged and with the NC-17 rating. The plot centers around Chris (played by Emile Hirsch), a small time drug dealer desparately in need of money, and lots of it. With the help and support of several others, including his dad and also his mom's boyfriend, Chris decides to hire a contract killer, Joe, played by Matthew McConaughey, to kill his mom and collect the insurance money. All I will say is that eventually Joe does his part of the deal, but that there are a...
A Roaring Comeback for Friedkin and a Career Renaissance for McConaughey
Few films contain such a palpable mix of dark comedy and brutality as William Friedkin's Killer Joe. The film reunites Friedkin with writer Tracy Letts, who last worked together on 2006's Bug. That film was a memorable little oddity that polarized audiences. If you have the stomach for it, Killer Joe is the superior film. For Friedkin, whose career was built on successes he had decades ago, it's a roaring comeback. For the star Matthew McConaughey, it's a career renaissance. In the last year, after serving time as the go-to guy for romantic comedies, McConaughey has begun taking on more daring roles and this is his most daring yet. It's also his best performance.
Most of Killer Joe takes place in a trailer park somewhere in Texas, home of the Smiths, a family of rednecks for whom the word `philistine' was almost certainly invented. Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch) is a drug dealer whose mother has stolen his stash and left him desperately in debt to some guys who will kill him...
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