THE KILLER INSIDE ME (includes trailer and interview)
August 31st 2010 13:24
The Killer Inside Me is the provocative new film by British director Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People), starring Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone), Jessica Alba (Sin City), Kate Hudson (Almost Famous), Ned Beatty (Mikey & Nicky) and Simon Baker (The Guardian). Based on Jim Thompson’s novel, The Killer Inside Me finds Winterbottom venturing into American style pulp fiction. Sure to make most viewers flinch, the film includes atrocious and shocking scenes of violence against woman, rough sex and lights the flames of some dark territory.
Casey Affleck plays West Texas Sheriff Lou Ford, who in his dealings with business man Chester Conway (Beatty) is revealed to have a terrifying, murderous side to him which we witness in the form of spasmodic brutality and the kind of unpleasantly realistic screen violence that is tough to sit through. We see Lou Ford pound a woman’s face in with his bare fists, precisely and carefully till this broken woman has no life in her. While it’s horrifying to watch, especially in how controlled and purposeful Ford is in doing this, it sets up a powerful, dramatic contrast in how ordinary and boring Ford seems on the surface.
Casey Affleck gives a finely tuned, admirable performance as Ford, a man who is arrogant in all his psychopathic viciousness, teasing and tempting those who suspect him then pleading against all accusations afterwards. This, along with the rough and raunchy sex which explores the darker side of sexuality, gives the film enough gas to get by on those merits despite some constant and serious story telling problems. The film remains always absorbing and interesting but is by no means a great film at all.
From the first frame the film looks flat, director Winterbottom has a sort of generic anti-style which always makes you aware of how much better the film could have been in someone else’s hands. You get the feeling that he doesn’t have a strong connection to the material as the story and characters are marred by vagaries. Casey Affleck’s whimpering southern drawl which he mumbles out makes his dialogue and necessary exposition hard to follow but you always get the gist of things and the film manages to use it’s darkness, as well as moodiness to keep you thoroughly engaged in the story, even if it feels completely directionless at times.
I take my hat off to Kate Hudson and Jessica Alba who really embrace this darkness which they’re required to commit to and help carry this film through with conviction, each of them nail their parts and get points for taking risks through out. The film also does a saucy job of pushing the boundaries regarding the kind of spirited sex we see - hot and nasty, kinky and twisted. However the film also ventures into the outright disturbing, making you feel thoroughly uncomfortable with how unexpected it all seems as the line start to blur when we notice the unsettling connection between the two.
Despite the film going through a dull patch, the steam of it’s central ideas, characters and even it’s premise alone, delivered with plenty of gusto, triumphs in the end. The film uses character to an extent but mainly shock value to reinvigorate and sustain itself which might not be saying much about the film, but you won't easily forget any of it. The film's teeth relentlessly go for the jugular time and time again but it's always necessary to the story. The Killer Inside Me goes out with a real bang which I found as entertaining and satisfying as I found far fetched.
The Killer Inside Me isn’t a great film, not by a long shot, but it gets by on the strength of it’s lurid sensationalism, shock value and dedicated cast who dive into this sinister yarn with everything they’ve got.
Here’s the trailer, followed by an interview with the film’s director.
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Comment by Journeywoman
Great Hair Style Tips
I Dream of Hollywood
Fashion Peach
Yep I think I'll give it a miss
Good review though Shaun K. (Not sure if it's my computer only, but some of the words are missing to the right of the screen, possibly as an effect of the trailers. Just a format issue anyway).
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
hmm, the cut off words are a problem - on my screen they show up....was the page fully loaded when you read it? Thanks for the observation though - I'll see if there's anything I cant do? See if it still happens when you refresh the page..
come again
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Despite your lukewarm feelings for it i still very, very much want to see this...I can't believe I'm saying that about a film with Alba and Hudson in it.
So the deeper subtext about the nature of violence, its link to sex and the masks we wear so prominent in the novel are not present in the film? I thought Winterbottom would have focused on this more so than the pulp exploitation angle.
I actually think it sounds refreshing he that he hasn't taken the by the numbers look that most noir fables do. That opinion may change once I actually see the thing though.
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Simply put the film isnt a particuarly well made one but the concepts which you mention see it through
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Comment by Journeywoman
Great Hair Style Tips
I Dream of Hollywood
Fashion Peach
Ha. I just realized that Winterbottom is the same director who did Genova. And I loved that film! Still won't be seeing this one though because yes, I don't like seeing women being the victims of violence, even when it's just onscreen (the Sandra-gets-punched-in-the-he ad moment of The Expendables didn't leave my consciousness for a very long time).
Plus I've always liked Jessica Alba (since she was on the TV show Flipper, so a long while now), and as such it would be even worse seeing her beaten up than some unknown actress.
Censorship versus good taste..... if only there weren't so many shades of grey.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
This final sentence which i assumed was a summation led me to formulate the idea it lacked any of the richer substance from the novel.
I really have to see the 1970's original with Brian Denehey too.