The Killing1956

“You know Fay, the biggest mistake I made before was shooting for peanuts. Five years have taught me one thing, if nothing else: Anytime you take a chance, you better be sure the rewards are worth the risk. Because they could put you away just as fast for a $10 heist as they can for a million dollar job.” I had never seen or heard of this movie before, but I liked the way it looked. But it was still much to my surprise when the words Directed by Stanley Kubrick blazed across the screen. I had only seen a few Kubrick films (the most popular ones) and pretty much none of his early work, and while this movie is pretty standard fare for the time, there are plenty of elements that feel unique.  I could see some inspiration taken from this movie, whether intentional or unintentional. The overall heist plot calls to mind the original Ocean’s 11, complete with an ironic ending (though sorely missing that film’s charismatic cast). The way the movie plays with time reminds me of Nolan’s early films, particularly Following, but doesn’t feature a real narrative or dramatic reason for its inclusion. The drama can feel like an after-school special with how overdone it can be, and the film could have better focus.  But for the kind of movie it is, it looks amazing. Some great shots and moments, but they don’t really get a chance to shine. There’s some inventive camera work, some good scenes, and I think one pretty good character. Not a bad movie and, of its type and time, one of the strongest. I could definitely see my score going up on a rewatch.  “Johnny, you've got to run!” “Eh, what's the difference?