KILLING THEM SOFTLY (Rated R)

The bleak landscape of small-time gangster thriller “Killing Them Softly” rests not just with urban decay, but with the backdrop of the run-up to the 2008 presidential election.

Based on the George V. Higgins novel, “Cogan’s Trade,” this criminal enterprise film involves petty hoods and sleazy losers who are pretty much oblivious to world affairs and the economic meltdown.

As if to create a sense of impending doom, “Killing Them Softly” makes plentiful use of radio and TV clips of posturing by various political figures to underscore the gravity of America’s financial crisis.

The political chatter is little more than background noise to the crooks and wiseguys who foolishly scheme to rob a high-stakes mob-protected poker game. Even in a bad economy, they just want a quick score for big bucks.

A longtime hanger-on in the underworld, Johnny Amato (Vincent Curatola), now in the dry-cleaning business, has come up with a slick plan to rob the card game run by regular dealer Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta).

To complete the actual theft, Johnny turns to jittery young crook Frankie (Scoot McNairy), who is fresh out of jail and flat broke. In other words, Frankie is the perfect patsy.

For his part, Frankie makes the dubious choice of tapping for a partner his drug-addled friend Russell (Ben Mendelsohn), a gleefully seedy Australian junkie whose latest criminal enterprise involves dog theft.

The Markie Trattman card game is a convenient target because Markie once imprudently boasted of his complicity in a robbery of one of his own mob-protected games.

Naturally, the conspirators are only too certain that the mob’s suspicion will fall immediately upon Markie, the guy most likely to know all the inside information.

With more bluster than brains, Frankie and Russell manage to pull off the robbery and escape without being recognized. But only a fool believes in a foolproof plan.

And there’s the rub. While the low-rent hoods are congratulating themselves, the mob takes drastic steps to deal with this situation, bringing in the seasoned enforcer Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt).

Dealing through the mob’s buttoned-up middle manager Driver (Richard Jenkins), Jackie is hired to investigate the heist and restore the criminal status quo. It won’t be easy or pretty.

While Jackie is cool, cynical and detached, his usually efficient manner is constrained by the bureaucratic mentality of the unseen mob bosses who expect Driver to communicate their instructions.

The essential imperative for Jackie is not only to mete out punishment, but to deliver a message to would-be thieves that no one is beyond the reach of a criminal enterprise jealously guarding its turf.

Though he’s the consummate professional, Jackie finds it’s frustrating to navigate mounting complications, so he brings in trusted colleague Mickey (James Gandolfini) to assist with the assignment.

The once reliable Mickey has now become surprisingly unpredictable, seeing how he’s much more interested in overindulging in alcohol and prostitutes than taking care of business.

A gangster thriller that involves contract killers is bound to be violent. “Killing Them Softly” certainly has its share of mayhem, including one of the most brutally grotesque beatings of recent memory.

But this crime story plays out to a different tempo than others in the genre. Indeed, the violence is either sadistically brutal or just simmering below the surface, keeping the audience on edge.

Surprisingly, the hoodlums are often garrulous, talking at great lengths often to the point of annoyance. This is particular true when the dimwitted Frankie and Russell prattle on like high school stoners.

The political context frequently gets in the way of the film’s essentially nihilistic worldview. Quite frankly, it seems unlikely that hoods would hang out in dive bars where C-SPAN is the TV channel of choice.

“Killing Them Softly” also goes against the grain by doing unusual things like making Ray Liotta a relatively sympathetic figure and James Gandolfini even more malevolent than his turn on “The Sopranos.”

The film’s saving grace is Brad Pitt’s unflappable, subdued performance as the world-weary hired gun. And when his Jackie has a conversation with Mickey or Driver, it’s worth paying attention.

“Killing Them Softly” is not effortlessly categorized, and as such, it may not find its audience easy to reach. In short, this film was not made for hardcore action junkies.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

This column space has frequently extolled the virtues of vintage TV series being released on DVD. I am not about to stop the practice now.

Once again, it is a pleasure to announce the DVD release of a classic detective show, this time “Mannix: The Final Season,” where Mike Connors still does the hard-boiled, gritty private eye gig.

“The Final Season” is the eighth year that Connors’ Joe Mannix defies the rules and protocols while fighting crime on the streets of Los Angeles.

The series also prominently featured Gail Fisher, who had the distinction, according to Wikipedia, of being one of the first African-American actresses to have a regular TV series role.

Whatever the case, Fisher and Connors made a great team in fighting the bad guys. “The Final Season” demonstrates that the series retained its vitality to the very end.

“Mannix: The Final Season” offers nearly 20 hours of high-speed car chases, flying bullets and fistfights. Through it all, Joe Mannix takes a beating and keeps on ticking.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.