A nice batch of images have arrived for the Brad Pitt flick COGAN’S TRADE with Ray Liotta, James Gandolfini, and Richard Jenkins, showing some very mob-like looking locales (you know, parking lots, bars, back-room poker, the usual).
The film is directed by Andrew Dominik, who has proven to be a great talent thus far with the Eric Bana starring CHOPPER and Brad Pitt western THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD. I haven’t seen CHOPPER, but hear great things. ASSASSINATION was an out-of-left-field surprise and left me genuinely impressed with all involved.
COGAN’S TRADE is based on the novel of the same name by George V. Higgins, a celebrated crime novelist. The book synopsis is as follows:
Jackie Cogan (Pitt) is an enforcer, and when the mob’s rules get broken, Cogan is called in to take care of business. This time a high-stakes card game has been held up by an unknown gang of thugs. Calculating, ruthless, businesslike, and with a shrewd sense of other people’s weaknesses, Cogan plies his trade, moving among a variety of hoods, hangers-on, and big-timers, tracking those responsible, and returning “law and order” to the lawless Boston underworld.
Liotta plays the mobster who runs the poker game in question, while Jenkins plays a lawyer, and Gandolfini is an alcoholic hitman.
I hadn’t really given this much thought until now. I generally enjoy Brad Pitt’s films, but he can be hit or miss. This looks like a really fun, meaty role for him to have a blast with. Pitt has yet to do a big-budget straight action film, so I guess we’ll have to settle for a mob/crime film for the time being. Plus, he’s got some great veteran actors along for the ride, which never hurts.
There’s no release date set for COGAN’S TRADE, although the Weinstein’s picked it up last year, so it could turn up at any number of film festivals or maybe slide into Oscar season. Keep your eyes peeled.
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