Stirb später, Liebling

Selma Blair is one actor I normally make an effort to avoid, but she is surprisingly good in this B-level piece. Indeed, I think she was done a great injustice by the slick photo that comes with the Australian DVD of The Sweetest Thing. Her performance in Cruel Intentions was not exactly a highlight on her resumé, either. So when I see her in a vaguely appealing form here, the surprise factor is enough to make me award it a bonus point. Quite possibly, this is all that the film has going for it, as I am struggling to think of another selling point.

The plot, such as it is, concerns a loan officer who works in a big city bank. She's suicidal after discovering her lover is less than perfect and her goldfish is dead. So she goes up to the roof. Coincidentally, the bank is robbed, and she gets taken hostage by one of the perps when things don't quite go to plan. Aiding him in his escape, we follow her as she learns more about this rather charming robber with a passable British accent.

The fundamental problem here is that not enough happens in the midst of all this character development to distinguish the story. Perhaps the problem lies with the DVD I viewed the film on. The dialogue is very indistinct in the 2.0-channel mix that is offered on the Australian DVD. Sometimes the difference between a boring, uninvolving scene and one that has the audience grinding its collective teeth in anticipation is merely a sound mix. So if you're thinking of buying DVDs from the Australian market, be advised that at least indie distributors in America take some pride in their workmanship.

Tom Heaton gets a great cameo as the wounded man in the robbery, delivering one of the few stand-out laughs the film has to offer. The ending is syrupy enough to make anyone in the audience, even those with hyper-productive islet cells, sick to their stomach. Apparently, this feature was based upon a short film. The eighty-six minutes that this feature-length offering take up feel like at least sixteen too much, but I may be biased because of my desire for something noteworthy to happen during a story. The number at the end of the film is equally sugary and over-glazed.

Still, I have seen plenty of worse offerings, so I gave Kill Me Later a five out of ten. Speaking of bad audio, the theatrical trailer on the Australian version of the DVD is encoded several decibels louder than the feature presentation. And they wonder why we parallel import?

"Kill Me Later" is a romantic comedy about a suicidal woman (Blair) who reluctantly takes up with a bank robber on the lam (Beesley) if he promises to shoot her once he's made his escape. What follows is busy enough with side plots, action, and snappy patter to keep the waning eye lid open in spite of the movie's many flaws including unnecessary visual effects, loose ends, Kodak moments which don't work, and a speed bump at the midway mark. Okay for sofa spuds. (C+)

This was clearly a work that was low budget and yes perhaps a little rushed - but I get a bit annoyed at reviewers here who whinge on about script development for a film that clearly had a hard time getting any kind of funding at all. Script development is hard to get in even the biggest budgeted films just look at Lord of the Rings if you want to see underdeveloped characters but strangely not to many people shooting that down.

That said this is a nice, gentle film about a bank robbery that is not trying to be Reservoir Dogs or Lock Stock, and I don't think it is so much underdeveloped as less violent. The writer and director have stuck to their own vision and have produced something that they should be proud of for a first feature.

The performances are good and the script and directorial choices are clever and interesting without trying to scream at the audience "Look at me I'm an Auteur"

Certainly worth a look and a good video movie for females who are tired of seeing the male dominated violent heist films.

It starts off as a comedy, then it becomes a crime comedy, before turning into a romantic crime comedy. If you liked Bandits or Birthday girl, Kill me later is another film I'd recommend, even though it is probably harder to find. Actually, I could recommend the film to any one who is in the mood for some light entertainment without too much sex or violence, but one that is not too sissy or sappy either. It's not great, but it is definitely likable.

Life isn't going so good for loan officer Shawn Holloway. On the day she decides to jump off the roof of her bank building, there is a robbery that goes south, thirty floors below her. One of thee robbers escapes, and takes Shawn hostage. She agrees to cooperate if he kills her once they are in the clear. that idea doesn't go so well either, because he is (for lack of a better cliché) chicken. Thus the two continue their run from the law, and on the way, Shawn starts to fall for this quirky robber.

Although the story isn't super extensive and its dimensions are of middling depth and detail, it gets you going, and you sort of end up caring. Selma Blair is not much of an actress at all, and much of her work is torpid, but this is a fairly good role for her as an average American emo, who starts to get something out of life when a few cute story contrivances come her way and take her on a crazy journey.

Like all films (even great ones) there is room for improvement, in Kill me Later, but the film is strait forward, to the point, and cute/quirky enough to be worth a watch, if by chance this relatively unknown feature finds its way into your life.

For me, Selma Blair is the reason to watch this one. She's got the creepy, vulnerable quality Jennifer Jason Leigh does so well, but she couples it with a smart-ass attitude. Movie is strongest in the first 40 minutes or so, as the constant running from the authorities gets a bit tedious after that.