Kiss or Kill

Any film that is prefaced with an extract from a Dylan Thomas poem deserves some praise and this film doesn't disappoint in most departments. This is essentially a film for students of film because it plays with so many cinematic conventions and mixes seemingly irreconcilable genres. Kiss or Kill is both film noir and a road movie, playing both genres against each other with the aid of Godardian jump-cuts to heighten the uneasiness and underlying menace the film evokes so well. In this sense, the film is visually audacious and technically brilliant and that's thanks to the direction which is on-target most of the time. My only gripe was the inclusion of some dubious story lines that detracted from the film's overall uneasy effect. Thankfully the acting of both leads compensates such flaws. Worth watching with a Film Theory book in one hand and popcorn in the other.

This is a sort of modern day film noir directed by Bill Bennett and stars Matt Day and Frances O'Connor. Day and O'Connor play a young couple in Austrila who are a couple of con artists and they mostly scam married men who pick up O'Connor in a bar. Things are going good until someone actually dies and they wind up with a videotape, on that videotape is a celebrity named Zipper Doyle, who is a football star, and he's having sex with a young boy. Day and O'Connor go on the run with both the police looking for them and Doyle trying to kill them. There are several more deaths but you don't see who murders who and Day and O'Connor get to the point where they can't trust each other. It's a pretty good movie that was a huge hit in Austrilia.

(1997) Kiss Or Kill CRIME THRILLER

Unconventional 'on the run' movie, co-produced, written and directed by Bill Bennett starring Frances O'Connor as Nikki, who as a child, is now scarred for life, since when she was a child she used to witness her mom burn to death as a result of some guy splashing gasoline on her before lighting her on fire. Then the actual story starts, is when Nikki allows a cheating husband to seduce her, so that she can drug him before robbing him blind, with her boyfriend, Al Fletcher(Matt Day) aiding her. What happens next is that the businessman accidentally dies, and as a result of also stealing the contents of this guys briefcase, they then come across an incriminating video tape of a well known celebrity, by the name of Zipper Doyle (Barry Langrishe) exploiting a young child. And instead of using it for blackmail, the young couple decide to go 'on the run' by driving away, and seeking to exchange other vehicles, while both the police and Zipper Doyle are going after them. At first, it appears to look like a young "Bonnie & Clyde", "Sugarland Express" and "Badlands" movie, but as the movie is progressing, not everything is what it appears to be as they're on the run. And although, it's unconventional, it'd have to take much of the first half of the entire film to the revelation to it being memorable. Perhaps if I had not seen those other 'on the run' films would've made a stronger impact than if was made later. Winner of 5 Australian Awards out of 11 nominations.

If Frances O'Connor and Matt Day don't get regular, steady acting work and eventually become big stars, I'll be very surprised. Despite all the other good things about "Kiss Or Kill", the two of them hold the movie together. O'Connor is sexy and tough, and Day is a solid leading man. The rest of the cast does a good job, especially the cops. The plot is a little loose, but it kind of makes you guess as to what's going on. In the end, this is a must see. Go rent it right away!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed Kiss or Kill. I thought it was well acted, stylistically shot and terribly romantic! I recommend this film for couples that want to make it a Blockbuster night. Written and directed by Bill Bennett, this movie is about two cons who accidentally end up on the wrong side of the law and on the lam. Frances O'Connor absolutely sizzles stealing almost every scene. Matt Day holds his own as her tough as nails boyfriend with the big heart. Kiss or Kill's supporting cast charms as well with each character introduced breathing new life, meaning and comedy to the movie. I didn't think there was one bad performance in it. Kiss or Kill was witty, clever and, in some scenes laugh out loud funny. Kiss or Kill get's my seal of approval. Bust out the popcorn!