Quick Movie Review: The Killing

6/10

A reasonable heist movie from director Stanley Kubrick early in his career that concerns an ex-con's plans for one last big score at a race course, and the consequences of it.

The Kubrick style shines through on a couple of occasions (with interesting first person perspective shots, most effectively at the very end) and his dry wit and sardonic sense of humour pervades the film, not least in the dopey George's marriage to his wife who I am certain is played by a relative of Alison Janney, so alike is the performance and attitude to that towering amazon of The West Wing.

That being said, there is little here that raises the film above average thriller stakes - the multi-timelines are well done, but the way in which they are explained is through voiceover not in the person of any of the characters, but in a style reminiscent of nothing more than the old Dragnet one. All strident seriousess.

Sterling Hayden is best value fort money as the tired and worldly wise ex-con and the nefarious plan is interesting and depicted with tension and flair, but I just didn't get that into the rest of the picture.

I think any fan of Kubrick should see all his films, but I don't think you'll be coming back to The Killing over and over again, though I did find it markedly superior to Killer's Kiss, the other early black and white Kubrick film I have seen recently.

Good but not great.

A