Kisses

I caught this movie in the 49th Thessaloniki Film Festival in Greece just yesterday, and I have to admit it was an unexpected gem, since you can't really have high expectations out of the movies in Film Festivals...

Sweet, kind-hearted, honest, brave, wonderfully-outlined characters, wonderfully-developed scenario, all in all -an amazing film. I wish I could stumble upon movies like this more often. The cinematography and the direction are splendid. The Bob Dylan soundtrack tribute not only brings this movie to life, but makes it all the more stunning, as is the rotation between color and black-and-white; the film obtains color when the two protagonists are happy and it turns back to black-and-white when they are unhappy.

I'm pretty content to have caught this diamond of a movie amongst the piles of rocks. Congratulations to all involved for truly bold film-making.

All very Ken Loach, (before he discovered FC United!), but nevertheless a charming, short film. Dylan & Kylie, (a fabulous, if mismatching pair of character names), were sweet in their own brow-beaten way, and all credit to Lance Daly for sticking with the sometime impenetrable dialogue.

Never mind. Credit also to Kelly O'Neill (especially) and Shane Curry for demonstrating that acting is much more than just words. But what I loved was the fact that the whole feel-good aspect of the film could be attributable to …. Heelys! ("They don't come cheap you know!")

Yup, Keely floating through the Dublin shopping arcades was as graceful as anything seen in a (South) West coast surfer movie – and made me infinitely more jealous. And then, just as this fairytale turns dark, the Heelys come to the rescue in a magnificent cinematic moment. Extra marks for that!

Ron

(Viewed 26Jul09)

Either the two teenagers who play the central roles are the greatest teen actors in the world OR the director can handle teenagers better than any director in the history of cinema. You should see this movie just for the superb job these two young people perform. The movie by itself is excellent, the photography, the use of the music of Bob Dylan, the dialog (thank you for the on screen translations cause at times it sounded like a foreign film from somewhere in Eastern Europe). This movie really is a gem as starts out in monotone and then when the kids reach Dublin the color is fantastic. I guess I just can't say enough nice things about this flick, check it out, you gotta love it.

An excellent movie even. Even with a short 75 minute running the movie is crafted and developed impressively. Not a feel good movie in the slightest. It is the story of two Irish runaway children that come from abusive homes. It is unabashedly forthright in its hopeless outlook on life in general. The subject matter of the movie is undeniably grim and pessimistic, but this is a great example of superb minimalist film making. Nothing is overdone or excessive. Everything on screen seems to be needed and no time or scene is wasted for any reason. This movie will satisfy fans of art house and foreign film. Some people will be put off by it due to its subject matter but others who appreciate this kind of movie will definitely want to go see it.

On Christmas Day two kids run away. Trust me, they had good reason. "Kisses" takes us on the next 24 hours of their lives as they wander through Dublin looking for a guy named Barry who will supposedly take care of them. At the same time they are running from the imaginary "sackman" who, the girl insists, takes young children and animals, throws them in a sack and beats them to death for fun. The story of these 2 runaways is charming, terrifying, bleak, beautiful, and just about everything else in between.

There is an instantly recognizable poetic quality to this film. That means: things are not necessarily spelled out, but instead we are made to piece together a backstory based on images, events and clues. Like the story of the 2 kids following the trail of this mysterious Barry fellow, we learn piece-by-piece exactly what's going on.

There is a subtle yet strong structure to this film. It is told in chapters with each chapter ending with a kiss (hence the name "Kisses"). Each kiss is symbolic and meaningful. Another interesting thing to note is the way the film changes between black & white and color, almost imperceptibly, yet in a very symbolic & meaningful way.

If you haven't guessed, this film has a lot more going than what's on the surface. Add to the mix a very appropriate soundtrack of Bob Dylan songs (in particular, great use of "Shelter from the Storm"), and you've got yourself an artistic treat.

The dialogue is mostly between the 2 young figures, and I was surprised at how authentically child-like it was while figuring in some absolute pearls of wisdom. One of my favorite lines is what the girl says to the boy as they're wandering off into the night: "You were right. There is no Devil. Just people."

The 2 young actors Kelly O'Neill ("Kylie") & Shane Curry ("Dylan") are, of course, what bring this film to life with a magical quality as only 2 genuine kids can display. It came as no surprise to me when I found out that these 2 were not actors. They were chosen from a bunch of kids that had been found at malls, schools and other such places. The result is a powerful film with a lot of honesty... not a pretentious art-house romp but an artistic film with real humanity.

If you enjoy meaningful "slice of life" movies as seen through the eyes of kids, then definitely check this one out. Also be on the lookout for "48 Angels" about a young boy who wanders off in search of Jesus, "Io non ho paura" ("I'm not afraid") about a boy who finds a deep hole where another boy is being held prisoner, the Wim Wenders classic "Alice in the Cities", and my favorite "Kikujiro" about a boy in search of his mother... accompanied by the grumpiest, foullest scoundrel in all of Japan.