Michael Winterbottom’s "The Killer Inside Me," is a confronting look at a deranged psychopath in the guise of a public facing sheriff’s deputy.
After his outstanding role in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" as well as "Gone Baby Gone," Casey Affleck reinforces his position as one of the best young actors in Hollywood with his role in "The Killer Inside Me" as sherrif deputy, Lou Ford
Affleck’s performance is chillingly absorbing, frightening and utterly believable as the unhinged killer.
That said, this movie is difficult to watch at times, and the violence is extremely graphic and unrelenting, presumably intended to get the point across – however that point is somewhat unclear.
Affleck's atrocious attack on Jessica Alba as prostitute, Joyce and Kate Hudson as Lou's girlfriend, Amy, are practically unwatchable.
The backdrop is a Texas town in the 50's and Lou has been requested by the richest man in town to break up the affair of his son and a lowlife prostitute, Joyce, (Alba) that is getting out of control. Lou has been asked to run Joyce out of town, however, instead, the pair become intensely involved.
Lou changes plans and inexplicably, decides to kill Joyce and frame the son into making it look as if they have killed each other.
But Joyce survives and Lou commits more appalling acts to try and cover his trail. As he plummets deeper into his own psychosis, his carelessness leads the police to his doorstep and his number is up.
There are several issues with "The Killer Inside Me."
The plot isn’t easy to grasp with its continued twists and turns. New characters continue to be brought into the film even right towards the end to clarify things but only serve to confuse the story further and both Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson aren’t strong enough to support Affleck; however that isn’t entirely their fault. They are clearly there to play the victims and not much more but unfortunately both lack any sort of screen presence to hold their own.
Affleck alone carries this film. His unflinching performance is an intense look inside the mind of a disturbed man and is in itself the strongest thing about "The Killer Inside Me" but without the support of story and cast it isn't enough to carry this difficult film.
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