Il bacio della morte

David Caruso and a beefed up Nicholas Cage star in this remake of the 1947 noir film..In this one David Caruso, on parole, is talked into doing a job to help his cousin, when he is busted, his cousin takes advantage of him and his wife Helen Hunt. Caruso is offered a deal by a slippery DA with political aims, played with the usual excellence by Stanley Tucci. Caruso then discovers the meaning of the word politics and seeks revenge on those who betrayed him. An underrated movie that didnt get much press when released (probably due to Caruso's controversial exit from NYPD Blue) this film builds the suspense and keeps you involved and interested.Caruso, the Cagney for the 90s, plays his part great with a tension you can feel. All the other roles are played well in this sleeper movie.. Well recommended Kiss of Death rates a 8

Everyone agrees that the casting was marque. And that it has great source material. But I feel it gets a bum rap with critics. And Nicolas Cage was exactly what the film needed. I thought so then and I think so now. Color, flash, and style. Something out of the ordinary to give it some desperately needed weight. And Cage makes weight. Literally. That is the strongest look I had seen since Stallone did "First Blood, Part II". Cage is a physical bull and it's impressive. I wouldn't have recognized him if I hadn't seen the trailer with his name on it beforehand. If you never saw this, see it. For no other reason than to be scared of Nic Cage. I was.

Kiss of Death boasts an impressive cast, authentic locales, and a gritty, accessible storyline, but it still comes across as an asthmatic remake of the film noir classic. Nobody "stars" in KOD; rather, David Caruso, Helen Hunt, Nicholas Cage, Samuel L. Jackson, Ving Rhames, and Kathryn Erbe all put in good, workmanlike performances that just don't catch fire.

I enjoyed Kiss of Death ten years ago when I rented it. What made it enjoyable again was seeing people I had forgotten about--a young Hunt, commanding on screen, an obscure Jackson, Cage almost unrecognizable, and Caruso, long before he decided to trade in acting for the ridiculous posturing he does on the boneheaded CSI: Miami.

Yet, the movie never really jells. We know the story well so we expect something better to make KOD stand out. "Workmanlike" just isn't enough.

I'd still recommend it, though. The freshness of the talent might be enough for you. And Cage, ripped and psychotic is so different from his breezy action roles of the last half decade.

You may find a gem here!

I liked this movie and I am quite surprised by the low IMDb user voting for this film. It is certainly not Academy Award material. But the story, character development, and the acting performances are really above average. I am not a big fan of television dramas. I have never seen a single episode of CSI. I thought NYPD Blue was very overrated, except for Dennis Franz. However, I think that David Caruso is a much better movie actor than he gets credit for. This one is definitely worth seeing. It is not a stupid high-action movie like Armageddon. However, it does have some very intense and well staged scenes that will keep action movie fans happy.

Ex-con Jimmy Kilmartin agrees to drive a truck of stolen cars as a favour to a friend. Whilst on the job he gets caught but refuses to role over on the others involved. Whilst in prison his wife is killed in a car crash and Jimmy leaves prison, bitter but with a determination to move on. However NYPD officer Calvin wants to use Kilmartin to get close to Little Junior Brown and get evidence to shut him down.

This was one of several vehicles that was planned to turn David Caruso from a TV hit to a big screen star - as we know, it didn't work out that way. However the story is pretty solid, it doesn't break new ground and there's nothing outside of the usual crime thriller plot to surprise you but it's really quite good. At times it's a little dull because it is so straight forward but it's mostly entertaining.

Caruso, for all his current lack of success, is actually very good. The problem is that he's good by doing the same "NY Irish tough but fair" role that he did in NYPD Blue, King of New York, Bodycount and most films he's done! It's good but I don't think he can do anything else. Jackson has presence as he always does and the support cast is really well filled out with people like Helen Hunt, Stanley Tucci, Rapaport, Philip Baker Hall, Ving Rhames. Nicolas Cage's Little Junior is a mixed bag. At some points he is effective but for the most part he's horribly OTT and hammy. His character is full of ticks and eccentricities that at the end of the day that's all Cage has to do.

Overall this is a solid thriller with no surprises. Caruso fans (like me) will like it regardless because it's Caruso doing his usual role. But others may not be so easily made to overlook the weaknesses.