The Killer Inside Me
Dir: Michael Winterbottom
2010
****
Michael Winterbottom's The Killer Inside Me completely misses out all the great character development that made Jim Thompson's novel so brilliant. There are things a novel can do that a film can't and vice versa but Lou Ford could have been explored further and given the in-depth analysis he deserved. Simply putting the Bible next to a copy of The Basic Writings Of Sigmund Freud was not enough and a little lazy to say the least. However, to Michael Winterbottom's credit, the film was suitably dark and he didn't shy away from the brutal realism of the book when I'm sure it was probably suggested he did for marketing. Apart from the missing pieces I have to say I was mightily impressed. The cast were so much better than I had thought they would be and the set/music/direction were spot on. Is this really a Michael Winterbottom film? Don't get me wrong, he's a great director but I can't think of another successful film maker who doesn't have the slightest hint of a signature or a style of his own. You could call it versatility I suppose but then I remember 9 Songs. A subjective director either way, fitting that his best film (in my opinion) is of a particularly subjective book. Highly recommended but certainly not for everyone.