Kiss or Kill Review
by Jamie Peck (jpeck1 AT gl DOT umbc DOT edu)November 17th, 1997
KISS OR KILL
RATING: ** (out of ****)
October / 1:35 / 1997 / R (language, sexual perversion, nudity, violence) Cast: Matt Day; Frances O'Connor; Chris Haywood; Barry Otto; Andrew S. Gilbert; Barry Langrishe; Max Cullen
Director: Bill Bennett
Screenplay: Bill Bennett
With "Kiss or Kill," Aussie director Bill Bennett tries to fashion a hip film noir with attractive leads, alluring scenery and a complex plot involving sex and murder. Unfortunately, the results are middling at best. It really says a lot that the movie's best sequence -- two cops casually conversing over breakfast, which, by the way, is extremely similar to the John Travolta-Samuel L. Jackson diner dialogue near the end of "Pulp Fiction" -- has absolutely nothing to do with anything. Jackson's "Fiction" hitman character claimed that personality goes a long way. Well, this movie has none.
"Love and Other Catastrophes" alums Frances O'Connor and Matt Day play drifting grifters Nikki and Al. She's a flirty lass who hangs out in bars, bats her eyes at wealthy-looking patrons and escorts them up to their hotel rooms where she spikes their drinks; he, brooding and secretive, lets himself in and helps her make off with whatever valuables they can steal. When one mark accidentally dies after being drugged, Nikki and Al panic and make off with his briefcase, which they're sure contains some kind of worthwhile bounty. Not quite -- its contents actually consist of a tape that explicitly reveals a renowned sports hero (Barry Langrishe) to be a pedophile. With the police and several other seedy types on their trail, the criminal lovebirds hit the road.
There are many directions "Kiss or Kill" could go at this point, and the filmmakers attempt to cover them all with equal parts disturbing suspense, black comedy and romantic drama (with a couple of repressed flashbacks and blazing explosions thrown in for good measure). The mix might have worked had any of these characters been tightly-written, but they're not -- we don't know about them, we don't care about them. In similar movies, the supporting cast can be quirky enough to steal the stars' fire, but here they're just as dull. Incredibly strong, appealing performances from Day and O'Connor aside, there's little meaty enough here to sink your teeth into.
Because "Kiss or Kill" utilizes the seemingly-foolproof, twisty elements of the crime caper, one might be tempted to call it a triumph of style over substance. But discounting glamorously dusty outback scenery, the movie's look is a headache-inducer thanks to sledgehammer editing. An example scene construction: Cut to Nikki opening a house door to walk to a car trunk, cut to Nikki at the car trunk, cut to Nikki walking back through the house door. I've heard of keeping things moving, but this is absolutely irritating.
"Kiss or Kill" does boast a few interesting nuances -- like Nikki and Al's growing distrust of each other -- but overall, the more turns the plot takes, the more distancing and dull it becomes. Eventually, a particularly engaging setup is wasted to serve annoying contrivances. Perhaps the most telling flaw of "Kiss or Kill" is divulged in its production notes -- a majority of the film's dialogue and interaction were improvised. Maybe Bennett will use an actual script next time.
© 1997 Jamie Peck
E-mail: [email protected]
Visit the Reel Deal Online: http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~jpeck1/
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