Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes
Rating: NC-17
Director: William Friedkin
Quick Impressions:
We can never know the future, but one thing has been clear to me since early summer. No one will ever convince me to pay money to see The Words. In fact, someone will have to pay me money to convince me to watch it at all if I have to endure one more viewing of the
omnipresent theater spot featuring the entire cast disingenuously gushing, “This was the best script I’ve ever read,” as (obviously) off camera someone holds their loved ones hostage. I must say, the ad campaign had surprising impact. It took a film I wasn’t even aware of and convinced me never to watch it ever. (Take a note from Queen Gertrude next time, guys, and just shut up about the movie you intend to dump into theaters at the
beginning of September.)
The Cold Light of Day didn’t look much better, so we decided to head over to what we call “the art theater” to check out something a bit more promising. Since late last week, I’ve been debating between Killer Joe and Beasts of the Southern Wild. Early Oscar buzz for the young female lead in the latter has been so deafening that watching that film is a must. This week, however, we opted for Killer Joe. For one thing, Matthew McConaughey (never even on my radar before this summer) has suddenly begun to interest me. Also, since the movie is rated NC-17 for “graphic aberrant content involving violence and sexuality, and a scene of brutality,” we wouldn’t really be able to catch this one on DVD. (As it is, I never get to watch Inglorious Basterds, Grindhouse, or even Fight Club, even though for some reason I delusionally imagined these were great Blu-ray purchases.) When you have kids, the best place to watch NC-17 movies is in the theater.
I’ll admit, I was a little nervous about how disturbing a film rated NC-17 for violence might be, particularly one helmed by William Friedkin, director of such light-hearted romps as The Exorcist and Cruising. What must a film do to get an NC-17 for violence? I mean, showing a woman enjoying herself a little too much can get you an NC-17 for sex. But for violence? Usually even torture porn only gets an R! The thing is, I had to stop watching True Blood after three episodes because I found it so disturbing. (Of course, that’s because my baby kept looking at the TV.) And you know William Friedkin isn’t going to pull any punches, so I was kind of worried.
But I shouldn’t have been. Personally, I don’t know why this film gets an NC-17 when Inglorious Basterds (as just one handy example) got an R. I suspect the answer lies in the fact that the director didn’t care. Also, the most disturbing scene does have (in addition to a hugely misogynistic vibe) a conspicuous lack of moral perspective. (I mean, the audience is almost encouraged to sympathize with outrageously perverse behavior since none of the characters is virtuous, and Joe is charismatic.) I think it’s the “aberrant” part that pushed it past an R, like the phantom fingers of the old Hays Code reaching out to shelter Americans from identifying with immoral protagonists. Don’t get me wrong. I’m definitely not suggesting that Killer Joe is appropriate viewing for children, but it’s really no different than some hard Rs I’ve seen. Our ratings system definitely needs an overhaul.
The Good:
Even though it’s the farthest thing from family friendly, Killer Joe is a great movie, at times horrifying, at others darkly hilarious, but always well written, acted, shot, and paced. Matthew McConaughey is amazing as police detective/hitman Joe Cooper, and the supporting cast is universally excellent. From the visually captivating opening to the perfect—if off-kilter—final scene, Killer Joe is a well-made, compelling film that I’d gladly watch again.
Emile Hirsch (who I’ve liked since Into the Wild) makes the ill-fated Chris Smith both believable and bizarrely pitiable. He’s almost sympathetic. Chris is just clever enough to ruin his own life. Before making any plans, he should have read the book of Proverbs. Something about “the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness” springs to mind whenever he appears on screen. (There are lots and lots of verses like that, and they all fit Chris to a T.)
I applaud Gina Gershon’s efforts in tackling a very difficult role that I certainly could never have attempted. She also gives a convincing performance as Chris’s often carelessly dressed stepmother. (You certainly don’t forget her entrance. Who answers the door like that? Some may think this is done for shock value, and it may be, but I do think it gives us a revealing introduction to the character.) (And I didn’t write that just for the double-entendre. Seriously. You learn a lot about the woman. Fast.)
Rounding out the cast, Thomas Haden Church and Marc Macaulay are good, too, as Chris and Dottie’s dim-witted dad and loan shark Digger Soames, respectively.
Most Oscar Worthy Moment (Matthew McConaughey):
Matthew McConaughey has had quite a year! I doubt that he’ll get a nomination for his work in Killer Joe, but the performance is worthy of one. (Granted, I haven’t seen other contenders. I’m just saying, he does excellent work here in a pivotal performance. The rest of the movie is good, but without a strong central performance by McConaughey, Killer Joe would be nothing special.)
His very last moment in the movie is actually my favorite, but I think the strongest moment that could be viewed out of context comes when he verbalizes his views on the Red River as Juno Temple’s character listens from a back room. Until this year, I had no idea he was capable of channeling his considerable charisma into such a finely tuned, powerful
performance.
Most Oscar Worthy Moment (Juno Temple):
English actress Juno Temple is amazingly convincing as a spaced-out Dallas area trailer park resident, an ethereal beauty who is clearly not-quite-right in the head. It’s hard to take your eyes off of Temple’s eerily haunted Dottie. It’s like she brings an entire Tennessee Williams (or Eugene O’Neil) play with her every time she appears on screen. (There’s also a definite Baby Doll vibe.)
Temple is excellent throughout, but she really impressed me when she gave her disturbing speech about an early memory of her mother in her first encounter with Joe.
Funniest Scene/Best Joke:
This movie is incredibly funny. The persistent gallows humor, the absurd comedy haunting the entire situation reminds me terribly of Fargo, except that in that project, Frances McDormand’s character was such a centered moral force. (Incidentally, McDormand’s Oscar winning performance is one of my favorite of all time.) Killer Joe gives us plenty of evil (be it inept, cunning, or off-the-charts insane), but there is no moral character thrown into the mix. I think this absence of a moral compass, along with the NC-17 rating, will make the film a non-contender in the Oscar race, which is a shame. (McConaughey’s commanding performance should at least warrant some discussion, though.)
Everyone in the theater (including us) laughed loudest at what Dottie said to Joe over tuna casserole. (When she says it, you’ll know. I don’t want to spoil it.)
The moment when Ansel and Sharla confront Chris before the funeral takes the cake, though. Practically the entire book of Proverbs jumped into my head. (Chapter 26, verse 27 seems particularly apropos.) I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so my mouth made the decision for me and laughed out loud.
In fact, I laughed out loud at several points during the movie (though sometimes sotto voce in horror). (Even hearing Chris mention a run-down, abandoned pool hall off Harry Hines was smile worthy to me as someone who went to college in the area.)
Best Action Sequence:
When Chris runs from Digger’s men, it’s hard to look away. (Then when they catch him, it’s hard not to look away.) The conversation he has with Digger is at once hilarious and chilling. And the penalty he endures leaves him at his most sympathetic.
Best Scene:
Man does Matthew McConaughey sell that ending! What a performance! The energy in his face in that final scene is just absolutely spectacular.
Visually:
I loved the opening scene. The lightning (that appears throughout) is a nice touch. But I really like the contrast between the fire and the water. And then you get the old car, the run down trailer. I felt like I got the vibe of the movie right away from what I saw in those opening moments.
The Negatives:
This is less a negative than a warning. This movie’s sex scenes got it an NC-17 not because they’re graphic visually but because they’re disturbing.
People still suffering from past sexual trauma should not watch this movie.
The KFC scene is itself less disturbing than the realization that some audience members may enjoy watching it. I’m sure there are people who get off on the degradation of women. (I’m not talking about, “Spank me, Daddy, I’m a naughty little school girl.”) Joe’s punishment is brutal, twisted, immensely demeaning, and—since it is an actual punishment—completely non-consensual.
The victim in this case is just about as innocent as Brigid O’Shaughnessy in The Maltese Falcon, but there’s no comparison between the response of Sam Spade and that of Joe Cooper. (And there are those who insist that Spade’s comparatively civil response smacks of misogyny.) I’m pretty sure this is the scene that earned the rating, and once you have an NC-17 rating, you can show as much female frontal nudity as you want. (I put that slightly differently when mentioning it to my husband.) But there’s really not that much nudity, sex, and violence. It’s just that when the “aberrant” moments come, they really pack a punch.
Some people might even be disturbed by Joe and Dottie’s first date. (It did remind me a lot of one of my previous relationships, but I’m sure the guy remembers things completely differently, like on one of those sitcom episodes where everyone flashes back to dissimilar memories of the same event. Intimate memories being subjective, I’m probably Joe in his version!) I don’t think it’s really any more disturbing than something like Dangerous Liasons, but it is a little creepy. Of course, anytime an addle-brained, scantily clad, doe-eyed blonde with a Southern drawl is involved, things get creepy fast.
In fact, these creepy moments are probably the only reason that I wouldn’t rewatch Killer Joe a number of times. Nobody in my family is going to want to watch that with me. (My parents will refuse, and I, of course, refuse on behalf of my children.) That KFC bit is just weird, to be honest. I like the scene up to that point, but then it gets quite disturbing.
The problem is, Joe is by far the most virtuous character in the movie (by virtue of everyone else being so horrible). His virtue is more classical than Christian. He doesn’t have the fruits of the spirit, but he is very manly and strong. He’s also courageous, intelligent, and good at what he does. He’s a sociopath, but boy does he have charm! The thing is, no one in this movie has any shred of decency, so in absence of true virtue, our sympathies drift toward the most appealing of the vicious. In fact, I remember thinking early on, Well given the state she’s in now, what’s about to happen to Dottie (who can be mistaken for innocent but is actually just crazy) doesn’t seem like such a bad thing. It might well be a step up. But this KFC moment ruins Joe for me. He just goes too far. He’s already made his point. The horrifically vindictive punctuation is not necessary and makes him seem less attractive than he ever has. But the thing is, the person he is “punishing” is not being punished wrongly, just wrongly punished. Basically, the KFC scene leaves a bad taste (although I do really, really love the ending).
Overall:
I have to say, I loved Killer Joe. It was as good as I hoped and nowhere near as disturbing as I feared. Matthew McConaughey is revelatory as the charmingly sociopathic title character. Juno Temple is also magnificent as the obligatory addle-brained Southern baby-doll wandering absently through this lurid tale. I really liked Emile Hirsch here, too, and you certainly can’t say Gina Gershon doesn’t give her role her all. The movie is laugh-out-loud funny with excellent pacing, a wonderful script, and fantastic performances from the entire cast. But it’s rated NC-17 for a reason. Children and the faint of heart should stay away.
Oh yeah, and the song that played at the beginning of the end credits was just perfect, but so kooky that I asked my husband immediately, “Where did they dig up this crazy song?” He was like, “Are you kidding? This is a classic song.” Clarence Carter’s Strokin’. Apparently, he heard it millions of times growing up, and I’d never even heard of it. But it’s absolutely the perfect song to end Killer Joe.