Written by Linda
November 30, 2008
It's unfortunate when good films have somewhat ridiculous titles. I remember hearing of this movie when it was originally in art-house theaters, and blowing it off because of the cheesy title (which, according to the opening credits, is from a poem by Dylan Thomas). But Kiss or Kill turns out to be quite an engaging, sexy, noirish Australian Bonnie-and-Clyde story.
Nikki (Frances O'Connor) and Al (Matt Day) have a scam where she lures hapless men from hotel bars, gets them back to their rooms, and drugs them—then she and her boyfriend steal anything valuable that they can find. But of course one of the tricks goes wrong and the robbery victim dies, leaving them with a body and a locked briefcase. There is a gem of a scene where the young lovers are back at their place: Al is freaking out, and Nikki, still wearing her slinky red dress, her dark curls falling in her face, is determinedly trying to get into the briefcase with an axe, while managing to balance a lit cigarette in her lips. Turns out, in the briefcase is a video of a famous retired football star, Zipper Doyle, having not-so-appropriate relations with a young boy. Soon, both Zipper and the police are on Nikki and Al's tails as they race across the desert desolation of Western Australia to Perth.
Kiss or Kill is not a perfect movie. For instance, there are several plot holes that are wrapped up not-so convincingly. But there is still an exciting tension to the film. The lovers leave a trail of dead bodies in their wake, but did they actually commit the murders? Did Nikki do it while she was sleepwalking (in the beginning of the film, we see a flash of her screwed up childhood)? Did Al murder the people when he woke up before Nikki? In the meantime, we also get a surprisingly human portrayal of the cops on their tail... they are not bumbling, but are actually quite clever. Then there is of course Zipper, who like a mad dog, is always on the verge of catching up to them first, waving his gun out the car window like a crazy-man.
Frances O'Connor and Matt Day have a sexy chemistry, but it is O'Connor that really runs away with the movie. She won several indie and Australian acting awards for her role in Kiss or Kill, and it is worth a rental just to see her rip up the screen.
