I saw this film at Elgin Theatre while on my volunteer shift (yay volunteering!). I love Matthew McConaughey, the poster was dark and dramatic, and the rush line was huge so I thought I would enjoy it. (Yes, that really is how I make my decisions.)
Yet I still don’t know how I feel about it. McConaughey plays Joe, a detective who moonlights as a hit-man. A young man (Emile Hirsch) hires Joe to kill his mother in order to collect the insurance and pay off his debts. The twist (one of many) arises when the young man cannot pay the fee in advance and agrees to hand over his sister to Joe as a retainer. Hilarity ensues.
Therein lies the problem. The movie was hilarious. I found myself laughing along with the audience at truly horrible things, then thinking, “Why am I laughing? This shouldn’t be funny.” I think the writing plays a huge part in this. The plot itself is quite uncomfortable with undertones of abuse, misogyny, pedophilia, and violence. The dark humour helped break the tension and bring the film to a level of fantasy.
Still, it’s not a film I would see again or recommend. The last half hour or so was incredibly difficult to watch and the film’s treatment of women is awful. I say, skip it.
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