Although it’s one of the strangest titles I’ve seen for a film in a long time, I’m just dying to see Kiss Kiss Bang Bang… for a couple of reasons.
First of all, I’m a big fan of both Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. Both of these guys have had their careers fall on rather hard times (Kilmer – because apparently he is quite difficult to work with, and Downey – because he likes his powdered white stuff). Still, whenever I see them on the screen I’m always impressed… even when the movie sucks.
Secondly, I just think the whole premise sounds like a lot of fun. The good folks over at Guardian Unlimited gives us this little synopsis of the project:
Downey stars as petty crook Harry Lockhart who, through bizarre chance, stumbles into a casting call and is flown to Hollywood to audition for a cop movie. To prepare for the audition and lend authenticity to his performance, Harry is teamed with private detective Perry van Shrike (Kilmer), known as Gay Perry for his sexual preference.
During a supposedly harmless stakeout, Harry and Perry end up the keepers of the body of a beautiful dead woman that keeps coming back to haunt them. At the same time, Harry has an unlikely reunion with Harmony Faith Lane (Michelle Monaghan), his dream girl from high school, a wannabe actress in need of a private eye to look into the suspicious suicide of her sister.
The film premiered at Cannes this week and got a pretty respectable reception.
Man, it’s funny. If a feature film starring Kilmer and Downey was made say… 7 years ago… it would have been considered one of “THE” movies to see. Now it just a blip on the radar. Oh well… maybe it’ll end up being one of those little gems you’ve seen that very few others even know about.
