As Jackie returns from the bathroom, the crowd on television chants "Yes, we can! For Jackie, it's just business. Moments later, while Driver's henchmen prepare to give Trattman a beating, a news clip references Henry Paulson, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs who became the Secretary of the Treasury and set a bailout in motion. Next: Every Song On Killing Them Softly's Soundtrack. But Jackie tells Driver that they need to get the industry back to normal. Before Trattman can be killed, though, Jackie needs approval from Driver’s unnamed bosses. Killing Them Softly plays out as an allegory for the 2007-2008 financial crisis: major risk taking, a system collapse, financial bail-outs, and a subsequent recession. We’re all the same,” Jackie scowls, “we’re all equal.” He also scoffs at Driver who says “Do me a favor: don’t do me any favors. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. After killing Frankie, Jackie has balanced out his underworld community, and establishes himself as someone who creates and inspires change. By. Secondly, Jackie enlists a fellow hitman named Mickey (James Gandolfini) for assistance, but discovers that the man is now drinking heavily and simple unreliable. Q.V. As detailed in the 2015 dramedy The Big Short, investment brokers like Cayne were responsible for an inevitable financial crisis. What’s the ending of Killing Them Softly all about? And it’s no accident that Jackie uses the line “Yes, you are” to address people like Frankie who claim to be unsure about certain facts, as it’s a phrase that connects to Barack Obama’s campaign slogan “Yes, we can.”. In Killing Them Softly, Jackie fully understands what he needs, and what he's owed: $45 thousand for three hits. As Jackie returns from the bathroom, the crowd on television chants “Yes, we can! In retrospect, it's that same concept that led many Americans to vote for Donald Trump in 2016, if only because they'd been reductively labeled and categorized as conservatives who didn't understand what's best for them. Incidentally, his unapologetic greed and boasting prompts Squirrel to manipulate the system by hiring two naive criminals, Frankie and Russell, who simply need the money. With 14,357 tests on Saturday —roughly three times the normal daily number of tests reported — 11.4% came back positive. Jackie even admits that he wanted the version of Mickey from "two years ago. Driver attempts to justify his personal perspective, citing “a business of relationships” and even suggesting that Jackie should pay attention to Obama’s statement that “Out of many, we are one.” But this American worker, Jackie, doesn’t buy myth, and connects it to founding father Thomas Jefferson and his sexual relationship with a slave. He's restoring faith in the system, and faith in the people who hire him. During this conversation, George W. Bush can be heard on the radio talking about public opinions and building support. Driver attempts to justify his personal perspective, citing "a business of relationships" and even suggesting that Jackie should pay attention to Obama's statement that "Out of many, we are one." But Jackie tells Driver that they need to get the industry back to normal. Yes, the off-the-cuff conversations might have you expecting the latest in a 20-year lineage of post-Tarantino chatty/witty thugs, particularly in the pre-heist banter between Frankie and his accomplice/prison buddy Russell (Ben Mendelsohn) about prison sex, among other things. In Killing Them Softly, Driver needs to restore confidence but protects his buddies. These separate philosophies set-up their final conversation (more on that below). It's just a business. But he doesn’t trust the audience to put the pieces together, leaving a frustrating tale that, just in case you missed it, is set in 2008 when everyone was greedy. What’s the ending of Killing Them Softly all about? Now f**king pay me.". Incidentally, his unapologetic greed and boasting prompts Squirrel to manipulate the system by hiring two naive criminals, Frankie and Russell, who simply need the money. Killing Them Softly Ending & Real Meaning Explained. As Killing Me Softly’s primary financial regulator, Jackie identifies significant problems with his usual collaborators. engaging views can flourish. After a revealing hotel room conversation, Jackie receives clarity and informs Driver that Mickey needs to go, and needs to go NOW. We can't do it without our readers. But this American worker, Jackie, doesn't buy myth, and connects it to founding father Thomas Jefferson and his sexual relationship with a slave. ", More: Why Brad Pitt Is Always Eating In Movies, To save himself, Jackie needs to do all the dirty work. He's also the founding editor at Vague Visages, and has contributed to RogerEbert.com and Fandor. Frankie is killed for being naive and unreliable; someone who could potentially create even more problems by talking too much. He trusts the system, but also prepares for the worst. “Nationalizing the election just killed down-ballot races,” said one key Statehouse insider who asked not to be named. The ham-handedness extends to Dominik’s visual choices, including an extended bit from the heroin-addled Russell’s point of view, and a slow-motion killing that — even if intended as a juxtaposition with a couple of messier, less balletic murder sequences still to come — cries look-at-me without justifying itself. 11/7 COVID-19 update: 11.4% positive, 1,639 cases; 9 deaths, Statehouse will be different for Dems in 2021. time where local journalism is struggling, the City Paper is And when it feels as though the filmmaker isn’t completely in control of his material, the discursive bits, like a flashback to a failed attempt to burn a stolen car, wind up seeming completely pointless. Written and directed by Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik, the film works as a conventional gangster film, but uses clips from the 2008 U.S. presidential election for a broader narrative about economic realities. A one-stop shop for all things video games. Jackie sees the bigger picture and protects his cashflow in Killing Them Softly. We understand that you’re turning your adaptation of George V. Higgins’ novel Cogan’s Trade — full of low-lifes, hired killers, and an unseen corporatized criminal hierarchy — into some kind of a metaphor for the malfeasance that led up to the Great Recession, and the nature of the response to it. As Killing Me Softly's primary financial regulator, Jackie identifies significant problems with his usual collaborators. 73% TOMATOMETER Mickey is also part of the problem because he’s taking money but laughs at the concept of accountability. He knows how stupid some of the low-level criminals can be, evidenced by remarks to Driver about their acquaintance Kenny Gill (Slaine), who provides intel about Frankie and Russell. In contrast, Jackie protects himself. Jackie’s faith is faith in himself. That in turn inspires a copycat crime by small-time crook Johnny (Vincent Curatola), who brings in an old acquaintance, Frankie (Scoot McNairy), to do the actual dirty work. Killing Them Softly Ending & Real Meaning Explained, Persona 5 Royal: How To Unlock Showtime Attacks, Where Star Wars' Rey Skywalker Ending Should've Happened (Not Tatooine), Spider-Man Art Argues TASM’s Black Cat Should Come Over To The MCU, The Informer Trailer: Joel Kinnaman Fights to Save His Family, Paul W.S. […], Interreligious Council hosts discussion series on Black religious diversity, ‘Save Yourselves!’ is a fun-filled flick about the end of the world — with pouffes, Theatre 99 reopens with improv comedy every Wednesday, Charleston’s Tiny Tassel featured in Facebook’s #BuyBlack gift guide. Killing Them Softly shuns the superficial optimism of the Obama years for an unsparring message: the United States is a country where ordinary people … etc. the latest and Best of Charleston for many years to come.