Kiss or Kill (1997)
Directed by Bill Bennett
Genres - Action, Adventure |
Sub-Genres - Crime Thriller, Road Movie |
Release Date - Nov 14, 1997 (USA - Limited), Nov 14, 1997 (USA) |
Run Time - 95 min. |
Countries - Australia |
MPAA Rating - R
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Synopsis by Jason Ankeny
Set amidst the eerie desolation of the Australian outback, Kiss or Kill is a superior reworking of vintage film noir materials from the veteran director Bill Bennett. Its lovers-on-the-run story focuses on Nicole (Frances O'Connor) and Al (Matt Day), a pair of petty thieves running a scam targeting married businessmen; when one of their victims accidentally dies, they flee his hotel room, absconding with his briefcase. The case contains a videotape of Zipper Doyle (Barry Langrishe), a national soccer hero, molesting a young boy; Nicole and Al soon take off for Perth, intending to blackmail Doyle -- never suspecting that he, as well as the police, are already in hot pursuit. As the two make their way across the country, they leave a trail of dead bodies in their wake; both Nicole and Al begin to suspect that the other is a murderer, and as their journey continues, their paranoia only grows. A similar feeling of mistrust and dread informs virtually every interpersonal relationship in the film, effectively gnawing at our own perceptions and expectations; a stylistically aggressive picture, brimming with jump cuts and inventive camera work, its distinctive take on the noir tradition is fresh and exciting.
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Keywords
crime-spree, blackmail, incrimination, on-the-run, Outback, police, pursuit, video-tape