A Bit of the Old Ultra-violence: “The Expendables” Review

(Disclaimer: I’m going to try really hard to avoid turning this review into some kind of essay on violence in film. Suffice it to say, in principle, I don’t have a problem with violence in film. I do, however, have a problem with the current state of film ratings, wherein fairly extreme violence doesn’t necessarily mean an R-rating, while nudity, sexual situations, and certain language can, each on their own, almost always ensure an R-rating. Granted, we are a nation founded by Puritans, so it should come as no surprise. Still, I think if anything should guarantee an R-rating, it’s violence. And in this case, The Expendables is rated-R, so we’re all good as far as I’m concerned. Game on.)

The Expendables opened at #1 last weekend, proving that mindless, violent action is still as American as apple pie.

The Trouble with Quibbles: The Killer Inside Me

Most movie-goers are well aware of the biggest blockbusters being released this summer, but I’m guessing few have heard about (or even heard of) the most controversial movie released this summer. The Killer Inside Me, Michael Winterbottom’s (A Mighty Heart, 24-Hour Party People, Nine Songs) faithful adaptation of the notorious Jim Thompson 1952 noir novel, caused quite a ruckus on the festival circuit this year before its theatrical release. The film and the director were both confronted with outrage and accusations of misogyny from shocked audience members and critics. Winterbottom’s depictions of Thompson’s brutal descriptions of violence are not for the faint of heart. Casey Affleck stars as Lou Ford, a West Texas Deputy Sheriff who keeps his murderous rage masked behind a well-established image of a genteel southern gentlemen. Ford is a kind of forefather to Bret Easton Ellis’ Reagan-era psycho, Patrick Bateman. Jessica Alba plays his sadomasochistic mistress, Joyce. Kate Hudson plays faithful fiance, Amy. Ford leads them on a journey into the heart of darkness and depravity as his true nature begins to seep to the surface like the oil from the depths beneath their Texas boomtown, Central City. Thompson’s story is a disturbing examination of the mind of a psychopath, which Stanley Kubrick, who collaborated with Thompson on the screenplay for The Killers, called, “the most chilling and believable first–person story of a criminally warped mind I have ever encountered.” The film has prompted yet another discussion on the place of violence in films. So, Bryan and I decided to see what all the fuss is about. But, before I get to actual quibble, I’ll leave you with Winterbottom’s own words about the film from an interview with New York Magazine’s Vulture blog, “It’s all quite shocking; it’s supposed to be.”