The Killing

1956 crime drama

Rating: 18/20

Plot: A group of guys attempt to rob a horse racing track.

A great combination of a modern non-linear narrative structure, quality performances, a Jim Thompson-penned script, and a style that shows that Stanley Kubrick had decided to become Stanley Kubrick. The cinematography is great, and this is the type of movie you'll watch and actually notice the lighting. The Killing actually has only one real flaw but it's a major flaw--a Yucca-Flats-style narrator who functions sort of like a wrist watch in this. I did like the very realistic attention to detail, even when those details weren't exactly very realistic. It's tautness contributes to its greatness, too. With no bloating or anything cutesy, there's just not a wasted moment in this one.