A buddy noir comedy that repeatedly breaks down the 4th wall? How the hell is this going to work? I mean, buddy comedy, sure. Staggering precedent on that one. Even buddy comedy that breaks down the 4th wall. Precedent on that one, too, from Bill & Ted to the underrated early Christian Slater buddy cop vehicle Kuffs (1992). But to throw noir and a classic Chandler-esque pulp ambience into the mix? Ballsy. And to cast an actor as notoriously hit-and-miss as Val Kilmer. Ballsy indeed. But with superb (as always) help from his co-star Robert Downey Jr as the petty thief turned actor turned private investigator Harry Lockheart, Kilmer actually shines as LA private dick and movie consultant known affectionately as Gay Perry. The role allows Kilmer to be in his element as a world-weary, gruff, and dismissive jerk.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) takes its title from an international slang term for the Bond-esque spy genre of the 1960s and '70s. The title hints already at the depths of self-parody lurking in the screenplay by Shane Black. Black's writing credits up to this point are an interesting mixed bag of action staples, including work on all the Lethal Weapon movies, good and bad, the vaguely entertaining Bruce Willis action vehicle The Last Boyscout (1991), the universally panned and completely unnecessary Schwarzenegger bomb Last Action Hero (1993), and the underappreciated Sam Jackson gem The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996). Black delivers on the goods in KKBB, his directorial debut.
In true pulp fashion, Black opens the film on a temporal pivot point. We join our narrator Lockhart (Downey Jr) at a Hollywood party with Hollywood types. As Lockhart mingles, he fills us in on himself and other characters via voiceover, flashback, and direct manipulation of the film and the audience. Transplanted to Hollywood by a quirk of mistaken identity, Lockhart flounders in the LA scene and is about to find himself the unwitting center of a mysterious scandal involving stolen identity, kidnapping, and murder. Playing the savvy opposite to RDJ's manic and naively bumbling Lockheart is veteran PI Gay Perry (Kilmer). Lockhart shadows Perry on an investigation into a simple case of adultery, but things turn dangerous when two masked men drive a car, complete with requisite corpse, into a lake. When the corpse later shows up in Lockhart's hotel room, it begins to look like a setup. Enter the unfortunately-named Harmony Faith Lane (Michelle Monaghan), whose past connects her to both Harry Lockhart and another mysterious corpse. What secrets is she harboring? Is she a damsel in distress or a femme fatale?
Thanks largely to RDJ's acting chops, and to a surprisingly good turn from Kilmer, the funny moments in the film seem to blossom naturally from the characters' interactions, rather than being inserted externally through elaborate screenwriting set-up or clunky direction. A less than tactful reliance on gay jokes and innuendos, and riffs on Harmony's implied sluttiness are the only truly egregious lapses. With enough action, comedy, and one-liners to make John Carpenter proud, this one's a keeper.
Storyline & plot: 7/10
Cinematography & effects: 7/10
Music & mood: 6/10
Performances: 7/10
The Reverend says: 7/10
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) takes its title from an international slang term for the Bond-esque spy genre of the 1960s and '70s. The title hints already at the depths of self-parody lurking in the screenplay by Shane Black. Black's writing credits up to this point are an interesting mixed bag of action staples, including work on all the Lethal Weapon movies, good and bad, the vaguely entertaining Bruce Willis action vehicle The Last Boyscout (1991), the universally panned and completely unnecessary Schwarzenegger bomb Last Action Hero (1993), and the underappreciated Sam Jackson gem The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996). Black delivers on the goods in KKBB, his directorial debut.
In true pulp fashion, Black opens the film on a temporal pivot point. We join our narrator Lockhart (Downey Jr) at a Hollywood party with Hollywood types. As Lockhart mingles, he fills us in on himself and other characters via voiceover, flashback, and direct manipulation of the film and the audience. Transplanted to Hollywood by a quirk of mistaken identity, Lockhart flounders in the LA scene and is about to find himself the unwitting center of a mysterious scandal involving stolen identity, kidnapping, and murder. Playing the savvy opposite to RDJ's manic and naively bumbling Lockheart is veteran PI Gay Perry (Kilmer). Lockhart shadows Perry on an investigation into a simple case of adultery, but things turn dangerous when two masked men drive a car, complete with requisite corpse, into a lake. When the corpse later shows up in Lockhart's hotel room, it begins to look like a setup. Enter the unfortunately-named Harmony Faith Lane (Michelle Monaghan), whose past connects her to both Harry Lockhart and another mysterious corpse. What secrets is she harboring? Is she a damsel in distress or a femme fatale?
Thanks largely to RDJ's acting chops, and to a surprisingly good turn from Kilmer, the funny moments in the film seem to blossom naturally from the characters' interactions, rather than being inserted externally through elaborate screenwriting set-up or clunky direction. A less than tactful reliance on gay jokes and innuendos, and riffs on Harmony's implied sluttiness are the only truly egregious lapses. With enough action, comedy, and one-liners to make John Carpenter proud, this one's a keeper.
Storyline & plot: 7/10
Cinematography & effects: 7/10
Music & mood: 6/10
Performances: 7/10
The Reverend says: 7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment