- Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Infobox Film
name = Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
image_size =
caption = Promotional poster for "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"
director =Shane Black
producer =Joel Silver Steve Richards Carrie Morrow Susan Levin
writer = Novel:Brett Halliday Screenplay:Shane Black
starring =Robert Downey Jr. Val Kilmer Michelle Monaghan Corbin Bernsen
special appearance =
music =John Ottman
director of photography = Michael Barrett
editing = Jim Page
distributor =Warner Bros.
released =November 11 2005
runtime = 103 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget = $15,000,000 (estimated)
gross = Domestic$4,243,756cite web |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=kisskissbangbang.htm |title=Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005) |accessdate=2007-04-28 |format= |work=Box Office Mojo ] Foreign$11,541,392Worldwide$15,785,148
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://kisskiss-bangbang.warnerbros.com/
amg_id = 1:305451
imdb_id = 0373469"Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" is a 2005 crime/
black comedy film , which follows many conventions of the classicfilm noir genre. It is based, in part, on the novel "Bodies Are Where You Find Them" byBrett Halliday . The screenplay was written byShane Black who also directed the film. It was produced byJoel Silver , Carrie Morrow, Susan Levin and Steve Richards. The cast includesRobert Downey Jr. ,Val Kilmer andMichelle Monaghan . The title is a reference toPauline Kael 's 1968 book, which in turn was named after a translation of an Italian poster of aJames Bond movie, which she called "perhaps the briefest statement imaginable of the basic appeal of the movies." [ [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051020/REVIEWS/51018002/1023 :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews :: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (xhtml) ] ]It was filmed in
Los Angeles betweenFebruary 24 andMay 3 ,2004 . After debuting at theCannes Film Festival inFrance onMay 14 , it received a limited release in cinemas in late October and early November 2005. It was the first film produced byPublic Media Works , a production company founded by Corbin Bernsen. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5143/is_200509/ai_n18594171 Bernsen goes DVD premiere. Public Media Works premiere its first movie "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"] ,Daily Variety , September, 2005]Plot
The
film is narrated by a small-timecriminal , Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr. ). He is self-aware and talks to the audience at various times through the movie. (See also thetheatre concept of thefourth wall andmetafiction ).Running away from
police after a botched robbery, Harry runs into a movieaudition to escape and, ironically, impresses the producers. He is brought toHollywood , where he meetshomosexual private-eye "Gay" Perry von Shrike (Val Kilmer ), who is enlisted to help Harry prepare for his role in the movie.Harry is introduced to Hollywood parties and encounters his dream-girl, Harmony Lane (
Michelle Monaghan ); a girl Harry has known since childhood. The two childhood friends leave for Harry's apartment, but budding romance is squelched when Harry proceeds to drunkenly have sex with Harmony's friend.Following around Perry at his job, Harry stumbles upon evidence of a complicated murder mystery eerily similar to the detective stories which Harry and Harmony grew up reading. The three team up to solve the mystery and encounter a series of seemingly nonsensical problems.
Cast
*
Robert Downey Jr. as Harry Lockhart
*Val Kilmer as "Gay" Perry von Shrike
*Michelle Monaghan as Harmony Faith Lane
*Corbin Bernsen as Harlan Dexter
*Dash Mihok as Mr. Frying Pan
*Larry Miller as Dabney Shaw
*Rockmond Dunbar as Mr. Fire
*Shannyn Sossamon as Pink Hair Girl
*Angela Lindvall as FlickaReception
Critical
The film was significantly praised, but due to its limited release, was overlooked for major awards and was voted "Overlooked Film of the Year" by the 2005
Phoenix Film Critics Society onDecember 20 ,2005 .Many critics admired the film for its sharp and clever comedy, as well as alluding to Black's directing and Downey Jr. and Kilmer's screen chemistry and individual performances. Mike Russell of the
Portland Oregonian observed that, "This is one of Downey's most enjoyable performances, and one of Kilmer's funniest. It's a relationship comedy wrapped in sharp talk and gunplay, a triumphant comeback for Black, and one of the year's best movies".cite web |title=Don't miss the 'Kiss' |work=OregonLive.com |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/1131575115286180.xml&coll=7 | accessmonthday=27 January |accessyear=2006 |author=Mike Russel] Jeff Otto, anIGN critic, wrote that "It takes a bunch of genres and twists them into a blender, a pop relic that still feels current...one of the best times I've had at the movies this year."cite web | title=Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang Review |work=IGN |url=http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/660/660049p1.html | accessmonthday=27 January | accessyear=2006 |author=Jeff Otto]Box office
Despite the film's mainly positive reviews, it did not garner much attention at the
United States or international box office.The film opened on
October 20 in the United States, with a limited release. From its release until mid-November, the film's distribution increased every weekend due to its favorable critical reviews. "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" stayed in release in the United States until early January.cite web | title=Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005) - Weekend Box Office | work=Box Office Mojo | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=kisskissbangbang.htm | accessmonthday=15 April | accessyear=2006] The film earned a total of $4,243,756 in the United States."Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" grossed far more outside the United States, accounting for just over 70% of the film's worldwide gross, accumulating $11,357,375. The film ended up earning $15,785,148 worldwide at cinema.
References
External links
* [http://kisskiss-bangbang.warnerbros.com/ Official Site (Warner Bros.)]
*imdb title|id=0373469|title=Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
*rotten-tomatoes|id=kiss_kiss_bang_bang|title=Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
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