Rapid Review: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

“I’m on the hook. The hook is my home.”
– Harry Lockhart

SYNOPSIS: A petty thief posing as an actor is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl and a detective who’s been training him for his upcoming role… – via IMDB

I have featured Kiss Kiss Bang Bang in a few of my Sporadic Scene posts, but I have never actually reviewed it. Well, the time has come to change that. I freaking love this movie. I happened upon it completely by chance with my cousin back when it was released, and we had a great laugh that day, and the movie has provided me with endless laughs over the decade since it’s release. Yes, I’ve seen this movie quite a few times over the years. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is incredibly sharp, witty and hilarious and is carried by a fantastic cast that embodies the crazy that we undertake when we start this. Robert Downey Jr before Iron Man is also cool to watch, I wonder if people remember he actually did other things before he became Tony Stark? Because he did. And he is good. Naturally, he is fast talking and slick, RDJ completely owns his role. The chemistry his Harry Lockhart has with Val Kilmer’s Gay Perry is awesome, and they just run with each other so well. Michelle Monaghan really is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, and she was in fine form for this. The music complemented the movie, and the plot was laid out so well. There wasn’t any lull or time to get bored, and the plot was not overly simple, but never got so complicated and convoluted that it became pointless, either. Harry Lockhart narrating the story was something that just flowed here, it was not jarring and it was not silly. It actually gave some kick to the movie, and I liked that. I also really like the way the movie was shot, it’s pretty stylish. There are so many incredibly memorable and hilarious scenes to this movie, and they never get old. Also, this movie is so quotable. Well, for me at any rate. Snappy and sassy, it definitely stays with you long after the fact. If you have not seen this movie yet, do yourself a massive favour and find it, I doubt you will regret it!

Rapid Review: Gone Baby Gone (2007)

“Kids forgive, they don’t judge, they turn the other cheek, and what do they get for it?”
 – Detective Remy Bressant

SYNOPSIS: Two Boston area detectives investigate a little girl’s kidnapping, which ultimately turns into a crisis both professionally and personally. – via IMDB

I recall enjoying this movie quite a bit when it came out a few years ago, and then I read the book by Dennis Lehane and I freaking loved that, though it certainly wasn’t an easy read at all. Naturally I stumbled across this movie and thought now would be a good time to watch it again, and let me tell you, it lost a lot of the magic for me. Not because it wasn’t done well or anything, it just missed a lot of the things that made the book so great. Ben Affleck did a damn fine job directing this, and I think he has some real talent as a director. Casey Aflleck was very good here, though not quite what I pictured Patrick Kenzie to be. While I find that Michelle Monaghan is one of the most beautiful women ever, I honestly think she was a terrible Angie. Why? Angie is this sexy, loud, in-your-face, smart-as-a-whip cussing part-Italian with ties to the Boston mob… and Monaghan was just a little too timid, quiet and mousy for me, which really sucked. Also, Bressant and Poole were underplayed, and I felt the story was far too rushed, skipping out completely on the things that actually gave you chills, and didn’t spend time building on anything. For instance, there is the scene in the bar where it was implied that Angie and Patrick were going to get attacked and Angie raped, and that scene carried no power and no weight. I blame the writers for this, because the movie also had a ridiculously short runtime for what it needed to tell, and so a lot was cut out and discarded along the way, which is a pity. Don’t get me wrong, I know this sounds like I hated it, this is just a typical case of the book is better, infinitely so. The film is entertaining, though it certainly falls short, but it is worth a watch, if for nothing else other than seeing Ben Affleck’s impressive skills as a director.