# Kiss or Kill (1997)

### reviewed by
E. Benjamin Kelsey

    KISS OR KILL
    (R)

    Directed by Bill Bennett
    Running Time: 93 minutes
    Originally Released: November 14, 1997 (USA)

    Reviewed by E. Benjamin Kelsey

    * * (out of four)

KISS OR KILL is an Australian film, which will probably make what I'm about to say all the more politically incorrect - but here I go anyway: KISS OR KILL would've been a million times better if it had been done more Hollywood-like. Yes, that's right - even though we usually hear the opposite about a movie, KISS OR KILL could've used a more glamorizing, sensationalistic approach.

Writer/director Bill Bennet gives us a product that seems more like a film- school project. It's low-key, somewhat amateurish, and in a film class it would probably be hailed as a creative masterpiece. But in the "real world" of movie-goers, this is not an enjoyable hour and a half. Put in the hands of a more "commercial" director, and with some retouches to the script, I think KISS OR KILL could've had some real potential at being a unique, fresh, and fun adventure/romance flick. Sadly, it is not.

KISS OR KILL is the story of two young lovers who travel Australia conning lustful men. Nikki (Frances O' Connor), the female of the duo, hangs out in the bars seducing married men. When they go back to the guy's apartment for a drink, she slips him a couple of pills, he falls asleep, and she robs him blind. Then along with her boyfriend Al (Matt Day), they travel on until they find the next victim.

The first time we actually see this happen, however, something goes wrong. The guy Nikki drugged isn't just sleeping, he's dead! As Nikki and Al ransack the dead guy's personal belongings, they argue over what's happened. They're attention soon turns to different matters however. They discover a videotape of well known sports-figure Zipper Doyle (Barry Langrishe) in bed with a young boy. Shocked and disgusted, Nikki calls Zipper and leaves a harsh message on his answering machine.

The two lovers take off once again, while back at the hotel room, the cops are investigating the dead body. They suspect murder and begin a hunt for Nikki and Al. Meanwhile, aware of the missing tape, Zipper too takes off searching for the duo. We follow Nikki and Al as they travel from place to place, and although we never actually see it happen, the people they meet tend to wind up dead and robbed. When Nikki and Al fight about how the victims died, it becomes obvious that we can't be sure who did it, whether it be one of Nikki and Al or not.

KISS OR KILL really does have a good *idea* behind it, but it also has too many flaws. Mainly, it scores high in the three U's: Underdevelopment, Uneventfulness, and Unevenness. If this film had taken more time to develop it's characters and give them depth, this film could have been a real gem in today's prosaic market. Sadly, it just never gets rolling. Then there's the editing. For a moment I was quite delighted with the non-stop jump cuts. They never deviated from the scene or focus, but merely added a jumpy quality to the film. For a moment, you're quite dazzled by this, but it doesn't take long at all for it to become an annoying, overdone characteristic that is anything but becoming. If Bennet had used this technique merely for introductions, it would have proved to be a unique and artistic use of "poetic license", but when it's used throughout the entire film, one wants to swat at the screen as though it were a fly endlessly buzzing in their face.

As seems to happen all too often in movies, there are a few rare things that *almost* make the movie recommendable. In this case, it's the acting. Unfortunately it isn't the two leads who provide this wonderful acting. While O' Connor and Day show that they indeed have potential, they are wasted in frivolousness and, at times, downright silliness. But it is Chris Haywood and Andrew S. Gilbert (as detectives Hummer and Crean, respectively) who just don't get enough screen time to really shine, although we do get a peak at their brilliance. In particular, a bewitching little exchange in a diner (heavily influenced by PULP FICTION) shows us what we've been missing. This laugh-out-loud moment makes one lament over the fact that there was so much potential lost in this film. In addition, Max Cullen as Stan the "not-all- there" motel-keep, is also quite winsome but underused.

Overall, KISS OR KILL may be worth a disheartening look merely for it's potentiality, but nothing more. It may wind up being a good example of what *not* to do when making a motion-picture. The faults stand out enough that you could actually take notes on what to avoid. I constantly found myself thinking of ways I'd improve the film, and as a possible re-write, this could be one for the books. Instead of coming away angry and disappointed, KISS OR KILL makes you want to help the film. It has enough there to make you *want* to enjoy it, but not enough to really win you over. In the end, you won't want to chastise Bennett for his shortcomings - you'll be more likely to pat him on the back and say, "Nice try. Better luck next time."

    December 9, 1997

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