"Downey and Kilmer are brilliantly matched as the oil and water pairing of Harry Lockhart, a charming bumbling petty thief and Perry Van Shrike, a tough, dour private eye whose homosexuality has led him to be better known as Gay Perry. Their biting exchanges are underscored with a tenderness that makes the couple a memorable cinematic double act."
Kevin Murphy TISCALI UK
"Wickedly funny."
Gary Thompson PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS
"I couldn't have liked it more."
Peter Travers ROLLING STONE
"Among the biggest surprises of the year."
Mark Olsen L.A. WEEKLY
"As one of the best noir crime thrillers since L.A. Confidential, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is also going to make you laugh and laugh."
Michael Szymanski HOLLYWOOD.COM
"A true comeback for Black and stars Downey and Kilmer, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is smart smart, fun fun."
Kevin Lally FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
"Kilmer earns Comeback Actor of the Year honors for his sharp turn."
Sean O'Connell CHARLOTTE WEEKLY
"I haven't had this much fun at the movies in a long time."
Randy Myers CONTRA COSTA TIMES
"A frenzied, stylish, very funny inside joke."
Richard Roeper EBERT & ROEPER
"Sly, darkly humorous and a lot of fun, this postmodern satire playfully deconstructs every Hollywood genre: noir, private eye, actioner, and male buddy comedy."
Emanuel Levy EMANUELLEVY.COM
The Inside Story
It may come to as a shock to some but yes Val Kilmer does play a homosexual private eye in his latest film which pairs him with "The Singing Detective", Robert Downey Jnr. After playing that legendary porn star John Holmes, the man with the legendary dong, which penetrated and satisfied countless numbers of women, in the film "Wonderland", Kilmer's latest role as Perry van Shrike has him batting for the other side. And just in case I unintentionally offend any of my highly sensitive 'gay' readers or moralists out there, let me add the obligatory qualifier, "Not that there's anything wrong with being gay, mind you." That's something I keep telling my young friend Frederick Munchemhoff who jumps at the opportunity to attend any screening of a film that contains a hint of 'gayism'. My timing couldn't have been better as far as Freddie [as I cheekily call him] was concerned. The latest love in his life [or 'partner' as people gush these days when they talk about the 'other person'] Ronnie, who works as a flight attendant for a well known International airline, was away for a week on a jaunt that would take him to steamy Singapore, on to autumny London town and back via raunchy Rome. Attending the screening of "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" was another of those occassions that left young Frederick gushing with 'gay pride'. The instant the credits hit the screen at films end, young Freddie leapt to his feet, enthusiastically applauding the onscreen performances we had all witnessed. It mattered little that Freddie was the only one applauding but his spontaneous outward display of approval didn't go unnoticed by those around us. When the woman next to me leant over to tell me what a lovely young man he was, I introduced myself as Freddie's father. "How nice" she said. "Having a father and son's night out are we?" "Regular event", I mumbled. Kilmer's performance [so very good] had certainly aroused something deep inside young Freddie and it was showing. I was so embarressed. Thank goodness no one needed to leave from our end of the aisle because it would have been a very tight squeeze indeed. But getting back to that role of Kilmer's [which I might repeat is a beauty], it does seem rather unconventional having a gay private detective in a Hollywood film. "Shane has a unique voice that comes through in everything he writes,” says Producer Joel Silver ["Lethal Weapon" I, II, III & IV & "The Matrix" I, II & III]. "Whether he’s honoring the conventions of the genre or deliberately defying them, he always brands his films with original characters, innovative action and memorable dialogue. His writing style is as entertaining as the movies that wind up on the screen." But this is not the first time Director/Writer Shane Black has featured a Private Investigator in his films. There was Bruce Willis in "The Last Boy Scout" [1991] and Samuel L Jackson in "The Long Kiss Goodnight"[1996].
"I loved detective stories, and I devoured them," Black says. "I’ve literally read hundreds of them. I wasn’t allowed to read them when I was a kid because they were racy, so I would sneak them. I’d save my lunch money. I wouldn’t eat for three days so I could buy the new Mike Shayne book, or the new Shell Scott, or Chester Drum. The racy scenes were great but I loved the mystery. There was a real kind of masculine, rough-hewn rhythm to those caper novels, and I acquired an even deeper sense of them that was emotional and powerful. If I hadn’t read those stories, I wouldn’t be writing movies." Sounds like a bit of an obsession? You're right on the mark and thank goodness for that because Black has certainly made a huge mark on the industry when in 1986 at the age of 23 year-old the UCLA graduate finished writing the draft of his first screenplay. Within a week, producer Joel Silver optioned it, and together with director Richard Donner they ushered in a new era of filmmaking with "Lethal Weapon" which did a hell of a lot for two actors we all grew to love; Danny Glover and our own Mel Gibson. "My fascination with the myth of the private eye and my obsession with those pulp novels needed an outlet when I became an adult,” he elaborates. “To some extent I explored it in Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout. But I’d never attempted a private eye piece that summed up all the different things I felt about those books and always wanted to try. "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" specifically pays homage to the detective stories I read when I was a kid." Like "Lethal Weapon" did for Gibson & Glover, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" should do plenty to rev up the careers of its two lead actors Robert Downey Jnr and Val Kilmer. "Robert totally inhabits Harry", Black says. "He brought a great deal of vulnerability and tenderness to the character, along with his endearing boyishness and a subtle comic timing that comes across in a simple gesture or a look. He brings a total commitment to his performance that appears effortless, but it’s really misleading because it’s tremendously difficult to do." And Kilmer's role as Perry van Shrike, aka "Gay Perry", a tough-as-nails, openly gay private eye? "That’s classic Shane," Silver says. "He loves to play with the audience’s expectations." And Kilmer loved the character! "It’s fun to be irreverent, which I don’t get many opportunities to do onscreen," Kilmer ["Top Secret!" & "Real Genius"]says. "I’ve been trying to find a good comedy to do for years. Hollywood has habits and one of them is: you have to have recently been in a comedy to be funny. They won’t give you one if you haven’t been funny in a couple of years." Executive Producer Susan Levin says Kilmer was 'the man' for the role. "Val has an incredible presence about him that is so fitting for Perry. Although his recent work has been rather dark and dramatic, he’s really good at comedy, as fans of his early work remember." And "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" will surely be remembered for its comedy too.
Cast & Crew Bytes
"KISS KISS BANG BANG" was .......
directed by Shane Black ["Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"]; screenplay by Shane Black ["The Last Boy Scout", "Last Action Hero", "The Long Kiss Goodnight" and "Lethal Weapon I, II, III & IV"]; cinematography by Michael Barrett ["Ticket to Ride", "Finding North", "Happy Birthday" and "Goal!"]; original music by John Ottman ["Trapped", "Gothika", "Hide and Seek", "House Of Wax" and "Fantastic Four"] produced by Joel Silver ["Romeo Must Die", "Swordfish", "Gothika" and "House of Wax"].
"KISS KISS BANG BANG" stars .......
Robert Downey Jr ["The Gingerbread Man", "Wonder Boys", "Gothika" and "Good Night, and Good Luck"]; Val Kilmer ["Batman Forever", "The Missing", "Wonderland" and "Spartan"]; Corbin Bernsen ["Killer Instinct", "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", "Quiet Kill" and "The Naked Ape"]; Dash Mihok ["The Thin Red Line", "The Perfect Storm", "The Guru" and "The Day After Tomorrow"]; Larry Miller ["The Princess Diaries", "Max Keeble's Big Move", "A Mighty Wind", Connie and Carla" and "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"]; Angela Lindvall ["CQ", "New York Stories" and "DKNY Road Stories"] and Michelle Monaghan ["Unfaithful", "The Borne Supremacy", "Constantine" and "Mr & Mrs Smith"] as Harmony Faith Lane.
What It's All About
When a bungled burglary at New York City toy store results in Harry Lockhart's partner being shot dead, Harry's forced to flee as the law closes in. A lucky break sees him stumble into an audition for Hollywood hopefuls. It just so happens that the script reflects what Harry has just experienced with the loss of his partner in crime. Harry finds himself heading from the East Coast to the land where dreams come true. Or do they? He's soon teamed up with a tough, hard-nosed and very gay Private Dectective named Perry van Shrike aka 'Gay Perry'. It's all part of preparing him for his big screen test. Harry soon finds himself up to his neck in trouble. While in 'training' Harry runs into childhood sweetheart Harmony Faith Lane, an aspiring actress with a great body but no prospects. When Harmony's sister suicides Harry is drawn to her. He hasn't told her he's only acting and that he's not really a Private Eye. As events unfold, Harry finds himself drawn into a shadowy world of bad guys, double crossers, mystery and murder. He's quickly discovering that maybe there's no-one he can trust.
The Verdict
"Thank goodness Robert Downey Jnr's latest movie is a lot easier to follow than his last effort "The Singing Detective". If you were one of the many who were totally confused and terribly disappointed by that cock-up, it will be a case of forgive and forget, otherwise you'll miss out on a surprisingly entertaining film. "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" is an accutely dark film punctuated by beams of bright light thanks to Downey Jnr's narration, a fascinating story line and a host of wickedly, wonderful characters both good and bad. A lot of fun. Recommended."
The Cast
Robert Downey Jr
Val Kilmer
Michelle Monaghan
Corbin Bernsen
Dash Mihok
Larry Miller
Rockmond Dunbar
Shannyn Sossamon
Angela Lindvall
Indio Falconer Downey
Ariel Winter
Duane Carnahan
Josh Richman
Martha Hackett
Nancy Fish
Stephanie Pearson
Chris Gilman
Ali Hillis
Wiley Pickett
Joe Keyes
Bobby Tuttle
Jake Eberle
Saida Rodriguez-Pagan
Lela Edgar
Daniel Browning Smith
Teresa Herrera
Evan Parke
Vincent Laresca
Harrison Young
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Harry Lockhart
Gay Perry
Harmony Faith Lane
Harlan Dexter
Mr Frying Pan
Dabney Shaw
Mr Fire
Pink Hair Girl
Flicka
Harry [Age 9]
Harmony [Age 7]
Chainsaw Kid
Rickie
Pistol Woman
NY Casting Woman
Teen Harmony
Protocop
Marleah
Homicide Cop
Lobby Cop
Hotel Concierge
Patrol Cop
News Anchor
Party Girl
Rubber Boy
Newswoman
Dexter Clinic Guard
Aurello
Harmony's Dad
The Crew
Directed by Shane Black
In part from the Brett Halliday novel "Bodies Are Where You Find Them"
Screen Story & Screenplay by Shane Black
Produced by Joel Silver
Original Music by John Ottman
Cinematography by Michael Barrett
Film Editing by Jim Page
Casting by Mary Gail Artz & Barbara Cohen
Production Design by Aaron Osborne
Costume Design by Christopher J Kristoff
Run Time 102 minutes
Rated MA15+ [AUST]
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