I like a good crime movie. Not those big, action-packed extravaganzas like the Fast and Furious movies, nor the over-the-top star vehicles like Oceans 11 and its sequels. Nor do I like movies that push me outside my suspension of disbelief. This puts movies like the frankly silly Driver and execrable Baby Driver right out.
No, what I like are the small films, character studies that use actors well-placed in roles that I can see as real people, involved in real struggles. I want to feel what a well-drawn character is going through, both their fears and their triumphs. It is also nice to see famous stars show their acting chops and immerse themselves in challenging roles. Most of all, I want movies that make me think, that force me to pay attention. So, with that in mind, here are three of the movies that have stuck with me over the last few decades.
Hard Eight (1996)
Small-time grifters working the boundaries of casino life, a cocktail waitress who hooks on the side, and actions of the past catching up with a man’s morals and guilt. This stars hang-dog character actor Phillip Baker Hall, with supporting actors John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow (excellently cast against type), and a nice, menacing turn by Samuel L. Jackson. Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s first movie languished in development hell while studios were bought and sold, and eventually, he was able to get the rights back to the film and release it independently, launching his career. This movie doesn’t tell me, but shows me the lives of these small-time players and how they feel. Tensions ramp up, coming from natural reasons that are integral to the plot; this is how these people act in the normal course of their small, destructive lives.
Killing Them Softly (2012)
Insider knowledge can be very lucrative, and it can also be very, very dangerous. When the manager of a small poker game, a game watched over by organized criminals, gets away with organizing the theft of the take, other criminals take notice and use that information for there own gain. And the people whose money is stolen will want to put an end to this, along with sending out a message, in the most permanent way possible. Starring Brad Pitt and Ray Liotta, this tale of the underbelly of America is an adaptation of George C. Higgins’s excellent novel Cogan’s Law. Higgins, a former U.S. Attorney, wrote some of the most realistic crime novels, and this movie firmly takes his world and runs with it. Stupid people are stupid, half-smart people think they are very smart, and those who stand back and let others handle things are usually the smartest.
Emily the Criminal (2022)
Emily isn’t always truthful. Emily has anger issues. Emily cannot get a decent job and is reduced to menial labor while struggling to pay her bills. By chance, after reluctantly doing a co-worker a favor, she gets a tip for some extra-legal work, making purchases on stolen credit card numbers for other people. She is good at this, maybe, but she likes it, and, just as importantly, she likes the money and the feeling of control that it gives her. Funny woman Aubrey Plaza is wonderfully cast in this tale of thieves in the new economy, but still needing both victims and people willing to participate in what they know are shady deals. Nothing she does in this movie is for laughs, and while she will always be a very good-looking woman, here her beauty is made to look authentically rough and working class. Main supporting actor Theo Rossi, previously seen in Sons of Anarchy, submerses himself so that you don’t know who he is, what his background is, or where he is going. But, like all good stories, that is revealed like the peeling of an onion, all while his partners, family members like most criminal groups, are shown to be not so generous.
*******
The central theme these stories have in common is this: Actions Have Consequences. And while these might show immediately or decades later, they always show up. Also, as far as the casting goes, all of these are obviously labors of love, and it comes through in the casting decisions. Brad Pitt is not a cheap actor, Killing Them Softly is not a big-budget movie, nor was it ever going to make a ton of money, so it is pretty clear he did it due to the strength of the script and his co-actors. Whether it said something to him on a personal level or on an acting level, he did it for the best of all reasons: he wanted to. And this shows through with each of these movies. Whether it stars and up and coming actor like Plaza, or a grizzled veteran like James Gandolfini, these are the people who put in the time and effort into a project to make it succeed. And, on top of that, these are directors who want to tell a story, no matter how small it might seem to the big movie studios.
********
All of these movies are available for streaming on the usual platforms.
Agreed, Killing them Softly is a fantastic movie. Slow build, banger ending.
Speaking of James Gandolfini, I recently watched him in The Drop. Crime drama, another slow build and sweet ending. You should like it.
Agreed on Killing Them Softly.
The Drop is a very good recommendation in this vein. I think I liked it better than Killing Them Softly.
Great ending.
I haven’t seen Killing Them Softly specifically because pretty boy Pitt is in it. I may have to reconsider. Saw The Drop when it came out, great movie.
For a period from 97-03 Pitt was a hell of an actor.
Shit.
I haven’t seen any of these.
Never seen them, never even heard of them.
We used to be movie junkies back in the day. There was a cinema that ran second run flicks for a dollar. Popcorn was a dollar with one free refill. Three bucks was our date night.
We haven’t been back since, I dunno, The Lord of the Rings. If they make it to satellite then we might watch it. Otherwise, we don’t care. I hope Oppenheimer makes it to DirecTV. Otherwise I guess I’ll miss it, too.
I am looking out my front windows and there is a movie theater across the street which plays a mix of artsy and Hollywood stuff. One of them is Oppenheimer. To the right of that on the sign, it reads “Barbie Bottoms” on two lines. I got a chuckle out of that I until I looked it up and there is indeed a movie called Bottoms.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17527468/
Gonna pass on that one.
Ditto.
My mother emailed me recently to say that her uncle gets a shoutout in Oppenheimer.
Sadly none are on Tubi for free streaming. Or I’d say Zack should host a Thursday.
RJ, you are irreplaceable.
Me neither but now I need to find these movies.
You’ve most likely seen it but if not check out Blue Ruin it hits quite a few of your criteria.
“Hard Eight” looks the most interesting of these to me.
Crickets, cool air, porch swing and beer. I think I can get used to this.
What are the best things in life, Conan?
Crickets, cool air, porch swing and beer.
Frogs croaking, cool mornings, porch swing and a hot cup of coffee, watching the sun come through the trees.
It is typically 12 to 15 degrees cooler in my new city than I am used to – I know because I have been following it for awhile.
I am really going to enjoy that.
Also it’s a shame they have only adapted two of Higgins’ novels into movies. And odd too, since The Friends Of Eddie Coyle is so well regarded.
If you haven’t gotten to it, I highly recommend Outlaws by Higgins.
The wife was watching something recently that I had seen previously.
“Stupid people doing stupid things.”
This seems to be a broad summation of film in the 21st century.
Mmmmm…Aubrey Plaza…yum.
Added to Netflix.
White Lotus S2, then for you.
Seen it. Enjoyed it. Would watch again.
An OT goddammit.
Was looking for a screwdriver for a few hours today to unscrew wheels on a TV stand, some of which are broken. Finally I gave up and turned the thing upside down and put the TV on it. Now I can’t figure out how to connect the fucking thing. There is not the typical cable sticking out of a wall that I have found in every other residence.
Anyway eating “dinner” – a bowl of soup – at the computer. Just happened to pull the desk drawer open and there’s the fucking screwdriver. Not at all where I normally would put it.
What do you mean by “the” screwdriver. I must have 30 of them scattered around the house and garage. I can usually find one in a few minutes.
I have several more in the toolbox that is packed in a bin labeled “Bathroom 1” that I haven’t got around to yet. This is just the one I have most handy all the time.
You don’t have a toolbox? Power tools?
/genuinely perplexed
If Rhywun had a hammer…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp1z8EzZ5Hs
I do!
I needed it just now so I dug it out.
I have a nice drill too. Packed away.
I’m wiped for today. The head is swiveling left and right looking at stuff I need to do. The body says fuckit.
I forgot. You moved right?
Yup. About 200 miles NW of NYC.
I need to go shopping for a bed this week – sigh.
But glad to be rid of the disgusting cheap ass mattress and box spring I bought 20 years ago.
PS. I learned last night that the beds at Marriott are awesome. Best sleep I’ve had in ages. And it’s on a platform instead of a frame and box spring so I didn’t feel like I had to pole vault my way onto the damn thing the way I do at most other hotels.
It gives me ideas.
We’ve been pretty happy with the Casper mattress-in-a-box we got a few years back.
Looks like a big update just dropped on Wirecutter – NYT or no, I find their reviews worthwhile:
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-mattress/
They just updated the platform reviews as well:
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-platform-bed-frames-under-300/
(although it’s now “under $600”)
There’s also a review of spendy-er platforms; for something you’ll use 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, for many years, I’d say you can justify treating yourself.
I note all this because I, too, have been looking at mattresses and frames – if my wife and I spend another night on the horribly uncomfortable twin beds at my mother’s, divorce and/or murder is in the cards. I’m going to throw money at the problem.
Their recommended latex is over $3,000.
Holy shit.
The disgusting cheap ass mattress and box spring I mentioned above cost me around 250 bucks. I think the rails frame was free, or should have been.
$3,000
Think of it ~ $8/night for a year. $0.80/night for the decade you’ll have it…
You’re right.
I sometimes have to fight my natural impulse to be cheap.
I find it helps to put in in terms of other things, e.g., “I spent $x on smokes every week for Y years…”
Oh yeah, that’s a good one. Since I quit in May I have saved… hm… carry the zero… probably around a thousand already.
I’m not sure I have to patience to wade through 33 (!) reviews but thanx.
I have a bunch of tools, downstairs in the basement, but recently bought this for the “junk drawer” in the kitchen:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004VJY1EC
It is excellent.
“Made in the CANADA”
Can’t go wrong. 😂😂
Better than Chi-na.
Neat.
Former tech of mine gifted one of those as a going away…it’s great
Nice! I have similar ones from Klein and Wiha. I like the Wiha one a lot, but I think I’ll have to add that one as well.
I’ve got a Craftsman that also came with a T- handle ratchet. Works almost as well as the power tools.
I have seen Killing Them Softly. I dimly remember it as good.
I hardly ever watch anything made after 1980 anymore.
Including porn?
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
A bush in the hand is worth two on the street.
A boy in the bush is worth two in the hand 🎵
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3iVgbqKE8A
Barbie Bottoms
A tale of redemption and renewal?
Right? There should be a “Barbie Bottoms”.
Including porn?
Especially porn.
👍
Fenix ammo is offering free shipping to NM because the Governor is retarded.
Might be time to do some stocking up.
I love their snarks on Twitter, too.
Holy hell this
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:5QTc9H0A9DYJ:https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2023/09/trump-biden-impeachment-kristen-welker-interview/675365/&cd=18&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
I can’t even pick a paragraph to highlight.
JFC, you’re right. Every single paragraph has a “wait, what?!” in it.
I think Derp needs to make a ruling on the best BS in there. Because to me the entire article resembles the smell from a feed lot in July.
The first couple of paragraphs were spot-on, but then they revealed that they ** weren’t ** talking about the political party controlling the MSM, academia, the federal bureaucracy, the presidency,the senate, etc.
By all means, let’s vilify the people not calling the shots because they oppose the majority.
I say this, for the mixed entomylogical metaphor.
***
As I wrote recently, this is not a normal election. (We haven’t had one of those in almost a decade now.) The GOP is not a normal political organization; the party withdrew into itself years ago and has now emerged from its rotting chrysalis as a nihilistic, seditionist movement in thrall to Trump.
***
If a chrysalis is rotting, nothing is going to emerge from it, although Zombie Butterfly is a good band name.
“Ancient Spirits of GOP, transform this rotting chrysalis into Trump-Ra, the Ever-Living!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umU8vKRNnRw
While I couldn’t make it all the way to the bottom, I made it farther than I thought would and yeah…it’s amazing how retarded The Atlantic is.
All I got was “OMG Republicans are doing not-Democrat things so terror-doom”.
Well, shit. It is a national EMERGENCY. Dont you understand what EMERGENCY means? That ol’ constitution thingy and the outdated bill of rights must be suspended immediately!
I made it as far as the Tom Nichols byline and punched out.
I suggest watching “Lonely Are The Brave” . It is based in late 1950s New Mexico and is about a man who doesn’t put the state in front of his friend. Kirk Douglas is the lead and Dalton Trumbo made the screenplay from an Edward Abbey novel.
Douglas considered it his favorite role.
Liked “Killing Them Softly”, abandoned “Emily the Criminal” about 20 minutes in because of the cringeworthy stupidity of her character. Don’t think I’ve seen “Hard Eight” yet, but not sure. After the first couple thousand movies, hard to remember them all.
That’s the one that piqued my interest. 🥴
Mebbe I’ll give it another try. Eventually. Or just watch the first few seasons of Parks and Rec, before they had Ron Swanson support fn Emily Nope instead of pointing the claymores at her.
lol
I love that show for being reasonably fair to him. Back when an SNL alum or two could understand nuance I guess.
I only discovered that show after it ended FWIW.
This apartment has a set of circuit breakers unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The washer and dryer have separate circuits, and the dryer has two (?!). And so forth. Twenty in all.
My last place had IIRC four.
My house has 5 fuse boxes. My grandpa built most of it (2 rooms when bought it, 7 rooms and a cellar now). He was a butcher, not an electrician.
Peppers should arrive today.
the dryer has two (?!)
240V
Wakey, wakey.
It’s love song Wednesday again.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qi7Yh16dA0w
🎶🎶
Yes, it counts and she’s so adorable.
Good morning all!
Finishing up the last two days’ bands with one from each:
A little later MGMT, It’s Working.
A little older The Killers, Dustland Fairytale>.
Share and enjoy!
Good morning, Beau, Sean, and hayek!
At our (absent) friends’ house in Ishpeming, MI (UP.) Figured out how to prep the coffee maker, but I don’t know whether I should go ahead and start brewing it. Found unexpired half and half in the fridge, but no regular sugar or sweetener. What’s the worst thing that could happen if I put powdered sugar in my coffee?
Of course, in a pinch, I DO have honey! 😃🍯
Coffee sweetening problem solved: found a tin of “Snoopy’s S’mores Cocoa Mix.” Between that and the half and half, voila! Mocha latte! 😋☕
Yum!. I tried putting honey in coffee once. No bueno.
Yeah… In tea, yes. In coffee… not so much. 😝
I recommend the 1996 film Lone Star.
Morning, Glibs.
Back in the office, dreading composing emails to annoying people.
Happily, you’re quite skilled at fantasy fiction, so you just have to do some world building in which the intended email recipients are decent human beings.
Good morning.
The office DNS is messing up and half the sites won’t look up. This includes state sites (that wouldn’t be intentionally blocked if some effort by my employers was afoot)
I have managed to put together a matter-of-fact reply that doesn’t carry any tonal issues.
I may not formally have a project to lead here, but the overall initiative is what I was brought into this group to get done. I’m not going to derail it over pettiness.
You aren’t doing governmental work properly. I’m going to need your supervisor’s name
That would be Sue Perviser
Whew, slept on a new pillow and now I feel like I’ve been stabbed in the neck. It’s going to be a fun day.
You got the MyShiv model?
My sympathies. I’ve slept in five different places over the past week (I’m traveling on vacation, dammit! Don’t even go there!) In my case, it’s my right shoulder (old mime injury) that’s acting up, aching and making my right fingers numb.
For the record, my favorite crime movie is Charade, but with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, it certainly doesn’t qualify as a “small” film. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0056923/
Mornin’, reprobates!
Good morning, ‘patzie! 😃
(Pssst! Don’t leave out you-know-who. You know how he gets. 🙄)
Shame on me. Hi, UCS!
Morning, Grosspatzer.
Morning all,
Put the last of the HH visitors on the plane yesterday, now to go back to work and get everything cleaned up ’til next year. Got a tall cup of Morning Joe and figure out a plan that may or may not come together.
Good morning, 4(20)! Thanks again for your hospitality and honey! We had a wonderful time and are already looking forward to next year!
I promise I haven’t forgotten about the group photo. I just need to crop it a bit (while leaving it in the proper aspect ratio for 8x10s.) Will send it to you soon!