Film Reviews

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

• Rating:
• Director: Shane Black
• Starring: Michelle Monaghan
• Details: US, 103mins, 15s

Harry Lockhart (Downing JR) is an all round decent, petty thief. When one of his late night sorties is rumbled by the police, he is chased into a movie audition where his adrenaline and edginess from the pursuit awards him a trip to LA for a screen test. At a producer's party he hooks up with Gay Perri (Kilmer) - a ruthless, tough and gay private detective - who reluctantly takes Harry under his wing in a case he is investigating. When a childhood sweetheart, Harmony (Michelle Monaghan), comes to Harry in the hope that he will solve her sister's alleged suicide, Harry finds that the two cases are somehow connected. Bodies surface (and re-surface) and the inept detectives realise that the murders go deeper than they first thought. Writer⁄Director Shane Black wrote Lethal Weapon and this buddy⁄action movie has a lot in common with that quick-fire abusive dialogue so when Kiss Kiss Bang Bang's action does stop for a breather, it's the verbal abuse keeps the story moving as Downing JR and Kilmer's back and forth is quicker than any speeding bullet. Downing JR narrates the witty Scrubs style voice-over in this knowing noir-tinged story and looks like he is having fun for the first time in ages while Kilmer adds to the party in his first comic role since Willow.

Review by Gavin Burke