THE KILLER INSIDE ME

Another review from the keys of Mark Brennan, this time taking the maverick auteur Michael Winterbottoms's adaptation of the famous pulp crime 1950s novel, and a controversial film it proved to be:

A very slick, jarring and unforgiving film from Michael Winterbottom. The Killer Inside me is the story of a small town sheriff who one day begins to unleash the darkest side of his human nature - something you suspect has been brewing for a long time.

We've barely met our lead, Casey Affleck, before we see him thrown into the middle of a heated altercation with out-of-town hooker, Jessica Alba. As the tagline for the film says, 'nobody sees it coming'. Up to this point Affleck seems like a well-mannered, clean-cut officer of the law. Winterbottom wastes no time ensuring us this is not the case.

Kate Hudson plays the role of the legitimate girlfriend, unaware of Alba, and Elias Koteas also stars as a union boss out to protect his own interest when the bodies start piling up. There is also a welcome turn from Ned Beatty as the big shot who has a hand in most of the towns dirty dealings.

Whilst reminiscent of American Psycho, The Killer Inside Me is a much harder film to watch. Bale's version of the killer hiding in plain sight has a much more comedic tone to it -even the violence somehow draws a chuckle in it's over-the-top delivery - but whilst there are moments of humour here, the violence is far from comedic. It is sudden, vicious and shocking, leaving your eyes glued to the screen in breathless anticipation of what Affleck will do next.

It is this focus on the character, however compelling, that in a way will make some viewers lose track of the pacing and the plot of the story. At some point all of Affleck�(TM)s motives and plans becoming blurred into the background, as all you really want to see is what Affleck does next. You stop caring about to whom or why - you just want to see more.

There is something very voyeuristic about this film that forces the viewer to not only observe the killer inside our main character, but also the possibility that such raw brutality may also exist within themselves.

THE TOWN is Ben's Town

'Sometimes you can't change who you are. You have to live with what you've done'.

Words spoken by Ben Affleck's character, Doug MacRay in a voiceover to conclude Affleck's second directorial effort - a spirited and atypical cops and robbers movie; with shootouts, double crosses, love interests and well acted/directed set pieces.

The reason I quote that line of dialogue is that I found it oddly fitting for Affleck's career that went into a very weird direction with Bennifer/Gigli and the 'Daredevil' venture (which in time I feel will begin to earn some praise), has finally found some credibility and some respect. It started with 'Hollywoodland' and then with his first directing bow 'Gone Baby Gone', that garnered greater praise than some of the films he acted in.  Critics were blown away by the expertise shown in the film which featured his brother, Casey, in the leading role, Affleck now returns with another crime picture set in Boston but with him in front of the camera; this step is inevitable and will ultimately lead to comparisons with Clint Eastwood who also took control of his career by directing pictures he was comfortable with and sometimes reserved his best performances for himself.

Affleck leads a group of four hoodlums who rob banks and security trucks, all done in disguise and professionally done leaving no trace of DNA evidence to limit forensic techniques, they get away with cash and leave no trace of their existence. This frustrates the chief detective of FBI Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) who wants to get results and after some leads he starts to track down Doug and his crew, including the sociopathic Coughlin (Jeremy Renner on electrifying form).  We start the movie at the start of a new heist on the bank run by Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), after she opens the vault in their scheme she is taken hostage, which is not normally part of the plan.

After the crew worries, MacRay follows her and makes contact to make sure she does not know anything. The only thing she does remember is a Fighting Irish tattoo on the back of Coughlin's neck, and this is used as a brilliant red herring when there is a conversation between him, MacRay and Claire - you feel the truth will come out at some point and Affleck frames the tattoo in the centre of the picture, to make us really on edge but this proves a ruse for us all, but this is indicative of Affleck's burgeoning creativity with the source material. A tattoo may be a trick/motif put into the screenplay, but the director chooses to put it front and centre to trick his audience.  MacRay and Claire fall in love leading him to doing one last big job for his boss, the Florist (Pete Posthelwaite) who tells him if he doesn't do the job, his new girl will look a whole lot different.

The stakes are raised and the net tightens as Frawley gets closer to the crew to take them down on the last job, which is taking a 4 day takings of Fenway Park ('Boston's cathedral') which is close to $3.5m.  The action set pieces as the crew try to escape are expertly done, and there is an even pace throughout the film with no rushing or manipulating of the audience's investment into the film - we have come so far with the characters we are entitled to a perfect ending and resolution.

The ending may be a bit unusual in that it is not what we expected, and it may not be perfect. And to paraphrase the quote at the start of this review, you may not be able to change. But maybe Affleck is done with that chapter of his life, and is ready to be reborn as a renowned actor-director, and 'The Town' makes sure that 'Gone Baby Gone' was no fluke.