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KISS KISS BANG BANG
Harry
Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr ) is a amateur thief who narrowly avoids
getting busted by literally running straight into an audition for a
Hollywood film. Surprisingly he gets the part and it soon off to
Hollywood to research his detective role with real life detective Gay
Perry (Val Kilmer). During their research the pair is witness to a
murder, which is pinned on Harry. Naturally they pair up, reluctantly at
times, in order to find the true murderer. To complicate matters Harry’s
childhood crush and now struggling actress Harmony Lane (Michelle
Monaghan) shows up with a mystery of her own to solve – but are they
both connected, and will any of them live long enough to find out.
As can be garnered from the plot synopsis Kiss Kiss Bang Bang has a
dense plot that can become slightly confusing if you are not giving it
your full attention. However that attention span will not be a problem
as the script is filled with laugh out loud one liners and rapid fire
dialogue (often too rapid to keep track of). Not to mention a great
collection of characters brought to life by a talented bunch of actors
with excellent comedic skill and timing.
Downey and Kilmer work well together, Harry’s fish out of water
reactions to the unfolding events proving great moments of comedy when
contrasted against Perry’s seen it all before attitude. Downey’s
narration of the film is a real highlight, providing many laughs as he
bumbles through the telling of past and present events (the discovery of
a body in his bathroom – and what he does to it – one of the film’s
funniest moments). Monaghan as Harmony rounds out the trio providing a
likable heroine who can easily hold her own, perhaps even better than
Harry, when it comes to crime solving and head busting.
Certainly not what was expected Kiss Kiss Bang Bang offers a refreshing
take on the detective film proving that even the most done to death
genres can find new life with an off kilter take. Indeed a sequel
featuring these characters would be most welcome, the ending strongly
hinting at the possibility. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a clever, refreshing,
engaging and most of all fun film.
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