Andrew Dominik
New Film: Killing Them Softly
Country: Australia
Age: 45
Best Known for: Directing one of the most picturesque movies of the last decade, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Cannes History
Killing Them Softly is Dominik's first film to play at Cannes.
His Resume
Though it was a box office failure, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was one of the best films of 2007, and it's gained a very strong and vocal following in the years since. That was Dominik's second film; His first was Chopper, a darkly comic story about a violent Australian prisoner.
Though is resume has grown large in stature, it remains small in measurable achievement. He did, however, win an Australian Film Institute Best Director award for Chopper in 2000, when he also earned a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination. Jesse James, meanwhile, was a Golden Lion nominee at 2007's Venice International Film Festival.
Dominik has written all three of his films.
Dominik On-Demand
Hulu Plus: N/A
iTunes: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Netflix Instant: N/A
Vudu: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Killing Them Softly
"Jackie Cogan is a professional enforcer who investigates a heist that went down during a mob-protected poker game." —IMDb
It's been a while since Dominik's languid Western masterpiece hit theaters, wowed critics, and bombed financially, but in the meantime, he's won over a gang of followers, myself included, who have been waiting very patiently for a follow-up. That it's here seems surreal. That it sounds fucking awesome is not a surprise.
The film was previously called "Cogan's Trade", a title I prefer infinitely to Killing Them Softly (which I'll mistake with Killing Me Softly, The Fugees song, at least two dozen times until the film's release in September). But what's in a name, right? It's based on a novel by George V. Higgins. Brad Pitt, back for another go-around with Dominik, plays the aforementioned Cogan. He's joined on screen by James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins, Sam Shepard, Garrett Dillahunt, and Ben Mendelsohn.
One point of slight disappointment is the absence of Roger Deakins, cinematographer on Jesse James. His images on that film are unforgettable, but his replacement is no slouch. Greig Fraser has lensed films like Bright Star, The Boys Are Back, and Let Me In (as well as the upcoming Snow White and the Huntsman), so I'm excited by what he might bring to the table (see the still below for an idea), while still missing the contribution of the incomparable Deakins.
Though Dominik's film sounds extremely promising, I'd be floored if it took home any awards at the festival. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong movie. Bring on September 21, though, so I can finally catch a glimpse at it.
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