Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
25KKiss Kiss Bang Bang: Directed by Shane Black. With Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen. A murder mystery brings together a private eye, a struggling actress, and a thief masquerading as an actor.
“I didnu0026#39;t expect much from this at all, but it turned out pretty good. Think of a Raymond Chandler murder mystery, updated to a sort of modern and enormously… self-aware buddy film-noir. Yes, a buddy-movie, film-noir, murder mystery, crime-thriller, all rolled into one hip modern self-referential update, packed with amusing references to all the clichés of the genres depicted. Before you can even think about the next cliché in the film, it grabs it, makes a mockery of it and proceeds at break-neck pace. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePetty thief Harry Lockhardt (Downey) is a lovable loser who accidentally winds up in the movie business, auditioning for the part of a private detective. Val Kilmer plays the real private eye, Perry Shrike (half the fun is picking the right name!) who has to learn him the trades of the business, but soon they both wind up in a murder mystery with so many twists and turns (and bodies), itu0026#39;ll make your head spin. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDowney and Kilmer seem to have the time of their lives, but not to the vieweru0026#39;s expense. Perhaps a bit too clever for itu0026#39;s own good with so many u0026quot;cleveru0026quot; plot turns, that I was lost in the end, but perhaps Iu0026#39;m not as clever as I wish to. And I must say, Michelle Monaghan! Wow! She really gave one sexy performance! It derails a bit in the end and goes so wildly over the top with shaggy-dog jokes, ridiculously stupid bad guys and buddy-clichés, it makes Austin Powers look like a straight-faced classic. But as a whole very entertaining, with snappy dialogue, clever writing, and enjoyable performances. Just lots of fun.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCamera Obscura — 8/10”
