Somewhere in the early 1950s Texas, small-town deputy sheriff Lou Ford (Casey Affleck) uses a prostitute (Jessica Alba) as a pawn in an evil plot. First filmed in 1976, Jim Thompson’s novel becomes somewhat of a queasy experience in Michael Winterbottom’s hands. It’s a meditation on violence that stays faithful to the original where events are meant to be seen from the psychopathic protagonist’s perspective… but the film’s deeper ambitions are overshadowed by a few scenes of extreme misogynistic violence. Generally well-made, with a strong performance by Affleck, but it offers little to set it apart from other films of its kind.
2010-Britain-U.S.-Sweden. 109 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed byĀ Michael Winterbottom. Novel: Jim Thompson. Cast: Casey Affleck (Lou Ford), Kate Hudson (Amy Stanton), Jessica Alba (Joyce Lakeland), Simon Baker, Bill Pullman, Ned Beatty.
Trivia: Natalie Portman, Sienna Miller and Anne Hathaway were allegedly considered for parts.
Razzie: Worst Supporting Actress (Alba).
