Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
Man, I hope this film rocks. I hope this film is just great brilliant trashy fun. I would love to see Downey and Kilmer and Shane Black all celebrating a monster hit this year. An early draft I read was promising, and that cast just sounds like a party on wheels...
Greetings AICN crew,
Hope you are on your way to a speedy recovery Harry!
Lethal Weapon had a big impact on me at a young age. Being under 17, I had my mother by me tickets to see this several times at the theater. It's still one of my all time favorite action films. The Last Boy Scout was another one of the early action movies that I found to be a fun ride, especially since it was grittier and more violent than what we had seen before at that time. Well, Shane Black, the writer behind two of my faves has once again made me excited to sit in that darkened theater and watch his vision unfold. In his new film, Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, Black makes his directing debut as well as writing this story based "in part" on Brett Halliday's novel, Bodies Are Where You Find Them.
At the screening in L.A. tonight, we were told we were the first audience to see this. I hope they don't change a thing since it was damn near perfect! The film is first and foremost film noir, but has a lot of great dark comic moments. The same kind of dark humor that was on display in Very Bad Things. During some of the gross gags, I haven't heard an audience laugh/groan like this since There's Something About Mary.
The opening credits are great and really set the tone for the film. They're done in the art style of those posters from the late 50's, early 60's--imagine the artwork from Vertigo animated. Really nicely done.
All the classic noir elements are there--the crook, the dame, the detective, the narration, double crossings, guns, murder, the music, and Michael Barrett's cinematography gives the city of Los Angeles a slick, yet dark and seedy look. The story has so many twists and surprises that I wouldn't really be able to talk about it without giving anything away. So let's talk about the three leads instead!
Robert Downey Jr. is hilarious as Harry Lockhart, a New York petty thief who ends up in L.A. under the guise of an actor. Jake Gittes had his bandaged nose, Lockhart has a bandaged hand, and the cause will have you wincing and laughing at the same time. Downey expertly juggles comedy and drama here. We see the Downey that was so good in films like Less Than Zero, and then the wisecracker from Home For the Holidays. It was a pleasure to sit and watch him perform in this and he carries the picture off flawlessly. In Lethal Weapon there was great chemistry between family man Murtaugh and the reckless Riggs. Here the chemistry isn't quite up to that caliber, but it's still a lot of fun to watch Lockhart interact with private detective Perry Van Shrike, played by Val Kilmer. Nicknamed "Gay Perry", because, well, he's gay. Perry is no nonsense, tough, and damn funny. Kilmer's always had great comic timing, and it was nice to see it on display again. Black has written some very snappy dialogue and to watch these two actors rapidly fire lines back and forth was a joy. There are some great quotes in this and I can't wait to see it again just so I can soak them in and retain them! The lovely Michelle Monaghan is the female lead here and, boy, what a cutie! She's got that sweet, girl next door look about her, so when she sheds her sexy Santa outfit halfway through the film, I feel guilty even looking. Of course, I still look. More than just a pretty face though, she holds her own and fits in nicely as aspiring actress, Harmony Faith Lane. Gotta love those names!
In the prologue, we're shown a cute moment that turns deadly...or does it? From the start, Black is telling the audience, "You have no idea where this is going!" and he never lets up. Ever fool around with a girlfriend? You're wrestling or tickling each other, it's fun, you're laughing, and then her knee accidentally slams or even just brushes your testicles. It's a painful surprise and the laughter suddenly stops. There are several moments like that in this movie. The rug gets pulled out from under you. As a child, Harry Lockhart wanted to be a magician. Magicians use sleight of hand and misdirection. That's what Shane Black does to his audience. Just when I thought we were headed for a car chase it abruptly ends. The big love scene? A direction I wasn't suspecting. One murder may or may not have anything to do with another. Like any good film noir, you never really know who you can trust and my trust kept shifting from one character to another.
What else can I say? I loved it. I'm not one to approach celebrities but when I came out and saw Downey and Kilmer in the lobby, I had to tell them how great it was. Now I'm telling you--go see this!
Fudgehammer
Sounds great, man. Thanks!
"Moriarty" out.
