'Killing Them Softly' stars Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini, now on DVD and Blu-ray

DVD review of "Killing Them Softly" starring Brad Pitt and James Gandolfini

Killing Them Softly

Two dim bulbs knock off a mob-enforced poker game, ensuring their demise in this gritty neo-noir crime drama. But until they're caught, the weekly card games are off.

Brad Pitt stars as a hit man brought in to sniff the robbers out, which he does, patiently, calmly and professionally.

Pitt underplays his role, giving his character the self-assurance to sit back and take in the whole picture but moving decisively when necessary.

The big twist is that the card game's organizer, played by Ray Liotta, robbed his own game some years ago and got away with it. He boasted about it much later and never was punished, as if the mob has its own statute of limitations. The robbers figure he'll be blamed for their robbery, and he is, if only for appearances' sake.

James Gandolfini plays a second hit man brought in to assist, but he proves more interested in sampling complimentary booze and prostitutes and ends up washing out. The intense scenes between Pitt and Gandolfini are the best moments in the film and remind us of how much we miss "The Sopranos."

Richard Jenkins is also good as a mob intermediary who doesn't always understand what's going on, but Sam Shepard is wasted in a small role.

Based on George V. Higgin's 1974 novel "Cogan's Trade," the film is set in the Boston area during the 2008 financial crisis, with talking heads analyzing global developments pervasively in the background on TV and radio. Writer-director Andrew Dominik is trying to connect the tw! o events, both financial crises caused by a lack of regulation, but it's a bit of a stretch. Nice idea, though.

The film made $14.9 million in U.S. theaters. R, 97 minutes. Extras: deleted scenes and a making-of featurette. From Anchor Bay Home Entertainment. Released March 26.

DVD review of "One Knight With the King" starring Tiffany DuPont

"One Night With the King"

The biblical story of Esther is dramatized in this 2006 historical epic starring Peter O'Toole, Tiffany DuPont, Luke Goss, John Rhys-Davies and Omar Sharif. Esther was an orphaned Jewish beauty who becomes King Xerxes' bride and dares ask him to save the Jewish people. The film made $13 million in U.S. theaters. PG, 123 minutes. Extras: commentary. From Fox. Released March 5.

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