Print Page - Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang) (2000)

Plot: An aging hitman decides to leave his profession, as well as the crime syndicate he's always been part of. While trying to decide what to do with his life, he accepts a protection job, to protect a man in his thirties who has always lived in a closed room. And then there are more complications, in the shape of an ex-lover and his former job mates, who don't like the idea of him leaving.

Review: This one is hard to define. It's one of those little quirky movies where everything seems to happen under water. What I mean is that we've seen characters an situations like this before, but here they look somewhat different, because of the mix of genres and the absurd overtones.

Take the opening scene. The killer (Stellan Skarsgard) tries to do a hit on a public swimming pool. At first everything seems under control, but before you realize you are watching a fully clothed Skarsgard chasing his victim through several pools, before finally settling for submerging head and arms and shooting the victim before he escapes underwater.

All in all, it's a great little movie. It does not get carried away in its own weirdness, and there's a genuine interest in the main characters' struggle to adjust to their new lifestyles. And I didn't even mention how great the acting is. It's always a pleasure to watch Skarsgard, and much more here, as he for once plays the main role. Then there's Chris Penn, who plays the man who's never put his feet on the street with a disarming mixture of infantilism and Jerry Lewis-ism that's just adorable. And there's even space for Paul Betanny to do a rather funny psycho-with-a-twist role.

This is one of those "I-can't-believe-they're-not-cult-movies-yet" kind of films, but also a very good one from anybody's point of view. I highly recommend it.

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Movies => Good Movies => Topic started by: Neville on July 24, 2008, 04:15:17 PM