Kiss or Kill . Newcity Chicago . 10-13-97

Kiss or Kill

DIRECTED BY: Bill Bennett

REVIEWED: 10-13-97

Coming off the compromises and commercial non-performance of his first American feature, the Sandra Bullock-starring comedy "Two If By Sea," writer-director Bill Bennett, a twenty-year veteran of filmmaking, retreated to his Australian home and wondered what he should do next.

For almost a decade, he had toyed with a script about an impulsive, hair-trigger outlaw couple on the run who may or may not be murderers -- they can't even trust each other enough to tell. Bennett felt he had finally hit upon how to tell the story and it would require a shift in means, shooting fast, cheap and with the charming young duo of Frances O'Connor and Matt Day. The result, "Kiss or Kill," is filled with hand-held shots, jump-cutting and a general sense of unease and enigmatic portent even as we are drawn into Nikki and Al's twisted, often hilarious world.

Trained as a photojournalist, Bennett's sense of what makes a good movie has shifted, influenced by his own experience as well as watching the work of other directors, such as Lars von Trier's "Breaking the Waves." "Being too pretty can work against the esthetic of a film. You go in as a young filmmaker, you think, `I want to get this beautiful light.' As you progress, it's more interesting to break all that down. I've got this term, `a dirty look.' Like, `Secrets and Lies' has a dirty look. `Kiss or Kill' has a dirty look. There are films that are shiny, like, say, `Portrait of a Lady,' and there are no doubt times when shiny is appropriate, but at this point in my career, I'm interested in a dirty look."

--Ray Pride

Full Length Reviews
Kiss or Kill
Kiss or Kill
Kiss or Kill
Kiss or Kill
Kiss or Kill

Capsule Reviews
Kiss or Kill
Kiss or Kill
Kiss or Kill

Other Films by Bill Bennett
Two If by Sea

Film Vault Suggested Links
Heavenly Creatures
Caught Up
Vertigo

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