The Killer Inside Me.

Last night I watched The Killer Inside Me an adaptation of the famous American Crime/Noir novel scribed by Jim Thompson in 1952, directed by Brit Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People) starring Casey Affleck (squeaky) Jessica Alba (spanky) Ned Beatty and Kate Hudson.

As I never got to see this during it's cinema release in the summer, I was looking forward to watching what was a very slick and stylish film, reminiscent of both Hitchcock and the Coens, a film which countless others have tried to make previously from Tarantino behind the camera to Brando in front, not to mention Tom Cruise and Demi Moore aswell, but for many reasons it never quite happened, until now.

The film tells the story of an apparent good guy, the young unassuming small town Sheriff's deputy Lou Ford (Affleck). Lou has a bunch of problems. Woman problems. Law enforcement problems. An ever-growing pile of murder victims in his West Texas jurisdiction. And the fact he's a sadist, a psychopath, a killer. Every bad turn he makes he uses his powers to seemingly get away with it and manages to shirk his way out of every wrong doing, beatings, murders, blackmail, until he goes one step too far and it all backfires and quickly unfolds around him.

Upon it's release it was overshadowed by it's very violent and controversial content, notably one scene in particular which I dare say I hardly had the stomach to watch, at one point I raised my foot to slightly obscure part of the picture, I'm not kidding, I couldn't find a cushion, seriously though, it really was 'look away' bad, the kind of stuff I've not put my little eyes through since I saw Irréversible (2002) on the big screen and actually felt a bit sick. I couldn't bear to watch that bit in Antichrist (2009) when that women cuts off her fanny, so that can't count. I won't go into detail or spoil it for others but if you like Jessica Alba's lovely face, don't like violence towards women and blood and stuff, you'll probably squirm in your seat as much as I did, some might have even fainted.

Film goers and critics alike were not too kind to this during screenings early this year, people walked out, people vomited in the aisles (probably) but it stays pretty true to the graphic novel background that's for sure, despite the fact many believe the violent content ruins a very good period picture, I guess it's kind of essential to a story centered around a secret psychopathic deputy serial killing Sheriff.

I'm pretty sure I liked this film, it was fantastically shot, had a great accompanying soundtrack was clever and looked fantastic and left me thinking and thinking, it was a little cloudy towards the finale and probably is demanding of a second viewing, but what about the horrible bits? because undoubtedly that's what this film will always be remembered for.