Based on a novel by George V. Higgins, directed by Andrew Dominik, and featuring Brad Pitt, Killing Them Softly is an intriguing neo-noir. Set in 2008, amidst the financial crisis and the presidential campaign, the film delivers a powerful message about politics and capitalism, using a mob story as its vehicle.

Johnny “Squirrel” Amato (Vincent Curatola), a small-time mobster, hires two amateur thugs—Frankie (Scoot McNairy), his former acquaintance, and Russell (Ben Mendelsohn), a junkie from Australia—to conduct a heist on a clandestine card game run by the mob.

Amato recounts the backstory of the game. Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta), the current administrator of the game, had previously stolen money he had extorted from the players at gunpoint. The mob had sent enforcers to rough up Markie, suspecting him of being the masked thief, but Markie did not reveal that he was the one behind the operation. However, he later let the secret slip to the players at a card game, and surprisingly, they allowed him to keep his loot.

In the present, Amato reasons that once Frankie and Russell abscond with the loot, the players will suspect Markie, as he had done it before. The duo conducts a messy but successful heist, leaving with a hundred thousand dollars.

The influential figures at the poker game hire a gangster, Driver (Scoot McNairy), to deliver vengeance and send a powerful message to everyone involved. Driver, in turn, hires the street-smart and shrewd hitman Jackie (Brad Pitt) to assist him.

While both men are reasonably sure that Markie was not involved this time, Jackie convinces Driver that Markie should be made a scapegoat because he “looks” guilty. Jackie is a cold-blooded killer with a unique principle: he prefers to “kill them softly” from a distance, avoiding the sight of his victims breaking down when they realize death is imminent.

After a failed attempt to enlist his friend Mickey (James Gandolfini of The Sopranos fame) for the dirty work, Jackie takes on the task of delivering retribution for the mob himself.

Killing Them Softly is a riveting noir with a primary message that echoes the behavior of modern politicians, who often pose as friends to their supporters while secretly working for their own interests behind the scenes. The movie features good performances from the entire cast. Go ahead and give this one a watch.